Beachcombers by Nancy Thayer

Synopsis from Goodreads:  Beautifully written, powerfully felt, full of both abundant joy and heart-wrenching sorrow, Beachcombers is an extraordinary novel that centers on the bittersweet reunion of three captivating, very different sisters on Nantucket over one gorgeous, exhilarating summer. 

Abbie Fox hasn’t seen her father or two younger sisters in almost two years, during which she’s jetted around the world and experienced life, if not love. But now Lily, the baby of the family, is sending Abbie urgent emails begging her to return home to Nantucket. Their middle sister, Emma, has taken to her bed, emotionally devastated after the loss of her high-powered stockbroker’s job and a shockingly unexpected break-up with her fiancé. Also, Lily is deeply worried that Marina, the beautiful, enigmatic woman renting their guesthouse, has set her sights on the sisters’ widowed father, Jim. The Fox girls closed ranks years ago after the haunting, untimely death of their mother, but seeing their dad move on with his life forces each of them to take stock. 

Over the course of the summer, the sisters’ lives grow as turbulent as the unpredictable currents encircling Nantucket. When Abbie encounters an incredibly appealing married man, she breaks her own rules in the name of love, fearing all the while that she’ll regret it. Meanwhile, type-A Emma learns a new definition of success, and strong-minded Lily must reconcile her dreams with reality. Even Marina, who has come to Nantucket to forget heartbreak and betrayal, faces an astonishing turn of events that will find her torn between fate and freedom. At summer’s end, these unforgettable women will face profound choices—and undergo personal transformations that will surprise even themselves


My thoughts:  Nancy Thayer is a new to me author, but she is definitely not new,  she has 20 novels to her credit.   I selected this book for two reasons.  The first is that I was looking for a good sisters story since the last one I read was  Get Lucky.  The second was that I was looking for a lighter summer read.  I was not disappointed on either front. 


All of the characters were likable, but my favorite character was Marina.  She was dealing with such a difficult situation and handled it with tremendous grace.  Her time wasn't spent moping around and whining about what happened to her, instead she was embracing her time on the island, meeting new people and learning new things.  

My least favorite without question was Lily.  The youngest of the Fox sisters pranced around like the world owed her something and threw tantrums when she didn't get it.  I cannot tell you how many times I wanted to tell her to get over it.  


Beachcombers is a story about overcoming adversity, growing up, letting go and finding your true love.  So many great themes wrapped up in this lovely package.  


If you haven't read it, I recommend picking it up and giving it a try.  If you have, what did you think?


Disclosure:  I received my copy of Beachcombers from the publisher to participate in this Virtual Tour hosted by Pump up Your Book.  This is my honest opinion of Beachcombers.