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Summer Breeze: A Novel [Hardcover]

Nancy Thayer
3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (83 customer reviews)

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Book Description

June 5, 2012
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 Among her new duties: manning the counter at the family business, Barnaby’s Barn, an outdated shop sorely in need of a makeover.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.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

PRAISE FOR NANCY THAYER
 
“Nancy Thayer has a deep and masterly understanding of love and friendship, of where the two complement and where they collide.”—Elin Hilderbrand
 
Heat Wave
 
“Vintage Nancy Thayer . . . Enjoy Heat Wave along with a cool drink . . . and plenty of sunblock.”—Huntington News
 
“A heartwarming novel that will take readers on an emotional roller coaster full of family connections, hysterical summer guests and the drama of everyday life.”—Nantucket Today
 
“A wonderful story set in the beautiful scenery of Nantucket . . . While there is a love story here, there’s so much more.”—Bookreporter
 
Beachcombers
 
“Walk along the shore with [these] girls. . . . Beachcombers hits home for those of us women who have loved, lost and forgiven ourselves and others in the quest for love and serenity.”Wichita Falls Times Record News
 
“Thayer’s sense of place is powerful, and her words are hung together the way my grandmother used to tat lace.”—Dorothea Benton Frank
 
 “A charming and fun summer read . . . Readers will love this story of family and love.”—The Plain Dealer

About the Author

Nancy Thayer is the New York Times bestselling author of Heat Wave, Beachcombers, Summer House, Moon Shell Beach, and The Hot Flash Club. She lives in Nantucket.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Ballantine Books (June 5, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0345528719
  • ISBN-13: 978-0345528711
  • Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1.2 x 9.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (83 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #268,750 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

It was pleasant enough, the characters didn't seem to have much depth and were a bit flat. Loves Books  |  29 reviewers made a similar statement
I really enjoyed this light pool side read. Susan Bleiweiss  |  10 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars As Refreshing As A Swim In DragonFly Lake! May 11, 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
Summer Breeze
By
Nancy Thayer

A summary...my way...

Families who live in the Berkshires around Dragon Fly Lake begin their summer by meeting for a cookout. There are old friends and new. There are three young women in particular who are sort of learning about themselves. They are the focus of this novel. They are Morgan, Natalie and Bella.

My thoughts...

I found this to be a light carefree summery book. I am used to this author's books taking place on Nantucket so the Berkshires were a pleasant surprise. Three reasonably young women live around a beautiful lake. Each one has sort of life changing decisions to make over the course of this summer. Morgan has issues with motherhood and leaving her career. Natalie has artistic issues. Bella is in love and unsure of where it will take her. There are men and boys with issues too and the author addresses each issue neatly and succinctly. I usually love this author's books because they are always lively and problematic but the problems always get neatly solved in a fun and tidy way. There is always just the right amount of everything in a Nancy Thayer novel. Marital tension, juicy bits, great food descriptions and lover's angst are all included in perfect proportions.

What I loved...

Life around a lake...sandy beaches...gatherings with friends and all of the characters...elusive Slade and lovely Louise and Natalie's mother with her precious bulldogs. Loved their life just outside of Boston and close to Amherst. Loved this setting...I love this part of the country. Loved the shops and colleges and antiques. I wanted to step out of my house and dash into Dragonfly Lake for a cooling swim.

What I didn't love...

The book seemed to lack a bit of excitement for me but I am so used to traditionally reading every Nancy Thayer book that I may just have been a teeny bit unenthusiastic about this one. I loved it while I still wanted more. I wasn't that fond of Morgan and it seemed a bit too easy for Bella to make the decision she made...you will see what I mean when you read the book!

Otherwise it truly is a lovely lively summery book!!!
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27 of 34 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Mild/Boring/Predictable. Not Compelled to Read On April 27, 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
The cover is promising, but before you reach for the "buy" link, let's have the book speak for itself:

From the opening page: "He was so bright, so reliable. He wanted children. He was in love with her. She was in love with him, and the vision of their life together was enticing. But there was one enormous problem: Aaron had been invited to interview for a job in San Francisco."

My sarcastic reaction was: "Gasp! Not THAT!" This paragraph represents the type of superficial conflict that's going to occur throughout the book (and the shallow characters---"so bright, so reliable." (He drives a Volvo, by the way.)

The author has used her son-in-law's field of work for inspiration (she tells us that in the front matter). So you should also be prepared for lines like this, from p. 19:

"I was a biological and chemical safety officer at Weathersfield College outside Boston. I specialize in hazardous waste management. . . Chemical engineers and biosaftety officers are natural enemies. Chemical engineers are more cavalier with the rules than chemists . . ." And it goes on from here. The author's intention is probably to make these folks seem more intellectual. However, this should either be a light book---or not. The material doesn't blend together well.

In the "Famous Last Words" category, this appears on p. 31: "Natalie straightened defiantly. 'Maybe I don't want to meet a man, okay? Maybe I don't want to get married and have children. Maybe I don't want to believe a man when he says he loves me, and then he leaves me, and leaves my children, and never sees them again, and doesn't care if they live or die, and they grow up feeling worthless.'" Yeah, right.

There really aren't going to be any surprises here. And there's still more than 250 pages to go.

If you really feel compelled to read this on the beach, bring sunglasses to cover the eye rolling. No doubt the author's heart was in the right place, and sometimes predictable can feel as warm and comfortable as a fleece blanket. But not here. Even in the "light" category, you can surely find a more engaging book than this.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Not as magical as her other works April 30, 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
Nancy Thayer takes a break from setting her books in her native Nantucket and heads to Dragonfly Lake for this novel about three women who become friends over a summer of finding themselves.

I was sad when I realized this book didn't take place on Nantucket as the rest of her novels that I've read have but I'm happy with any sort of body of water in a book so I kept hoping that Dragonfly Lake would capture the magic that Nantucket has before. Sadly, I felt that Summer Breeze, while a good read, did miss the mark when it comes to the magic I've come to love from Nancy's books and most importantly the places she describes. The lake does have a bit of fun but it's nothing compared to her descriptions of Nantucket and the way they are brought to life.

Beyond that, while eventually I did settle into Bella, Morgan and Natalie's friendship, the beginning was a bit jarring when they are introduced over a cocktail and in the next moment they are inviting each other over for cocktails and at ease with each other. I did like seeing these three women find themselves and I really liked how the love aspect was ambiguous and you weren't quite sure at any time who was going to wind up together.

It was a decent read and I'd rate this a solid 3.5. A fun light read for the summer months but not one I'd tell my friends is a MUST to take or read while poolside this summer.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars Boring
Summer Breeze does not follow in the traditional writing style of Nancy Thayer. So much so that I honestly wonder if she did indeed write it. Read more
Published 10 days ago by D. Vance
2.0 out of 5 stars Boring
Was very slow and dragged out. The characters were boring. Not her usual story with everyone involved and a super subplot.
Published 25 days ago by WENDY CERRATO
5.0 out of 5 stars A refreshing read
I love her novels; enjoyed the story line, the scenery, and the way she weaves a riveting yarn. Couldn't hardly put the book down and looked forward to opening it up again.
Published 27 days ago by Grendel
4.0 out of 5 stars Great read
I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Nancy Thayer or Elin Hilderbrand. It takes place at the beach, has lots of interesting character's and several good... Read more
Published 1 month ago by irisheyes
5.0 out of 5 stars Always fun
Nancy Thayer books always delight me ,this one was very good , I found myself wanting to be right there at Dragonfly Lake!!!
Published 2 months ago by Donna M Suozzi
3.0 out of 5 stars Not much happens but the scenery is pretty
Well, I have to agree with the reviewers who said this wasn't Nancy Thayer's best. I have loved her previous books, especially "Morning," but this one is just sort-of blah. Read more
Published 2 months ago by D. Lange
4.0 out of 5 stars Good
Good novel. Reads easily. Characters in this book are great. I can't wait to see how it ends.
Good novel.
Published 3 months ago by P
3.0 out of 5 stars Summer breeze
Nice story , I don't usually read Romance novels. This one was good. Not the usual rich man meets poor girl and showers her with wealth.
Published 3 months ago by Sharon Hart
4.0 out of 5 stars an enjoyable read
I really enjoyed this light pool side read. Although the storyline was a bit predictable and at times the writing seems a bit tedious it made for an easy read. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Susan Bleiweiss
2.0 out of 5 stars Just okay
This is an okay book. I had trouble keeping up with all of the different characters. It had it's high points, watching someone who had no self-esteem, turn around, and lots of... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Lana A. Osborne
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