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4th out of 52 books
—
48 voters
Summer Breeze
by
Nancy Thayer
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 a...more
Morgan O’Keefe feels trapped in a gilded cage. True, the thirty-year-old mother a...more
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
June 5th 2012
by Ballantine Books
(first published June 1st 2012)
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Summer Breeze
I found out about this book/author from Amazon it was one of those if you like this author, then here are some other suggestions.
This is the first book written by Nancy Thayer that I've read and I have to say it really grew on me and I liked it.
The beginning was a little overwhelming to me because pretty much all of the characters were introduced all at once. But after reading on I was able to put the character with their name. The story is about three families that live next door...more
I found out about this book/author from Amazon it was one of those if you like this author, then here are some other suggestions.
This is the first book written by Nancy Thayer that I've read and I have to say it really grew on me and I liked it.
The beginning was a little overwhelming to me because pretty much all of the characters were introduced all at once. But after reading on I was able to put the character with their name. The story is about three families that live next door...more
I didn't dislike "Summer Breeze" as much as many other reviewers did, but it was not up to par for Nancy Thayer. Thayer has been around a very long time. I was reading her richly woven novels in the early 1980's, and some had been written long before then. She seems to be "dumbing herself down" of late. Perhaps she is trying to appeal to a different audience, one that is looking for a quick read, a good story, without any literary worth. Having said that, I enjoyed the STORY in this book, about...more
I keep trying to read nancy Thayer, mostly because I live where most of her stories are set. I need to stop trying because, well, at 44, I am easily a decade too young for her style of writing. She writes middle aged fiction, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. BUT, my big issue with her is that she writes middle aged fiction with young characters who speak and act like middle aged women. No young person says "gosh." And yet, her characters say "gosh" every five minutes. This book a...more
I read some of the other reviews and am not quite sure why this book was disliked. I thought it was just a nice, easy beach read. I didn't think it was so light that it was boring.
The story follows the friendship that develops between three women as they spend their summer at the lake.
*Bella: Grew up around the lake. Her mom owns Barnaby's Barn, a local gift shop. Bella has been teaching 3rd grade in TX, but has returned to help out her family after her mother breaks her leg.
*Natalie: Has been...more
The story follows the friendship that develops between three women as they spend their summer at the lake.
*Bella: Grew up around the lake. Her mom owns Barnaby's Barn, a local gift shop. Bella has been teaching 3rd grade in TX, but has returned to help out her family after her mother breaks her leg.
*Natalie: Has been...more
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 surpri...more
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 surpri...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
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 where they find 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 an okay...more
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 an okay...more
Fed up with New York, Natalie accepts her aunt's offer to house sit in Dragonfly Lake. Neighbor Bella returns to her hometown to care for her mother and family business. Morgan put her career aside to raise her family but now feels restless and alone. All three women are about to find their paths crossing and love knocking. Can they handle the changes life brings? Can they remain friends through it all?
This was a women's fiction with romantic elements. I thought I would like three stories in one...more
This was a women's fiction with romantic elements. I thought I would like three stories in one...more
Summers on Dragonfly Lake in rural Massachusetts are dreamy, lovely, and full of moments of connection between friends and family.
For Bella Barnaby, returning home from her job as a teacher to help her mother after a broken leg sidelined her from running her shop, Barnaby's Barn, something more may come out of the visit.
What Bella discovers around the lake and in running the shop is a true passion for design and collecting that could fuel a business of her own.
But her boyfriend Aaron might take...more
For Bella Barnaby, returning home from her job as a teacher to help her mother after a broken leg sidelined her from running her shop, Barnaby's Barn, something more may come out of the visit.
What Bella discovers around the lake and in running the shop is a true passion for design and collecting that could fuel a business of her own.
But her boyfriend Aaron might take...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
It was missing something. Summer Breeze is the story of three different women who become great friends early one summer. They are neighbors on a beautiful lake and are quickly drawn to one another. I liked all of the characters and most related to Morgan. Her marriage is in a rough patch caused by the need for more "things". I think many of us can relate to getting swept up in wanting the big house, the nice cars, beautiful furniture only to realize that once we have all of those things we are n...more
This is a First-Reads book. I won it in a give-away.
I was so excited when I one a Nancy Thayer book and started reading it immediately. The story is about 3 woman who become friends while staying/living at Dragonfly Lake. Morgan is a scientist who's having trouble adjusting to being a stay-at-home Mom while her husband is never around due to his new job. Bella is a teacher who has moved back home to help her parents run a family business, she doesn't want life to change but her boyfriend is thin...more
I was so excited when I one a Nancy Thayer book and started reading it immediately. The story is about 3 woman who become friends while staying/living at Dragonfly Lake. Morgan is a scientist who's having trouble adjusting to being a stay-at-home Mom while her husband is never around due to his new job. Bella is a teacher who has moved back home to help her parents run a family business, she doesn't want life to change but her boyfriend is thin...more
(From Book Description)
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 Berksh...more
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 Berksh...more
Welcome to Summer at Dragonfly Lake.
Bella Barnaby has come home to help her mom out. She has broken her leg and needs Bella's help to run her little store Barnaby's Barn. While there she starts to imagine a different course for both the store and her life.
Natalie Reynolds has dreams of becoming a successful artist but can't succeed in New York working as a waitress and taking classes only when she has the money. She decides to take her aunt up on her offer to house sit at her lakeside home. More...more
Bella Barnaby has come home to help her mom out. She has broken her leg and needs Bella's help to run her little store Barnaby's Barn. While there she starts to imagine a different course for both the store and her life.
Natalie Reynolds has dreams of becoming a successful artist but can't succeed in New York working as a waitress and taking classes only when she has the money. She decides to take her aunt up on her offer to house sit at her lakeside home. More...more
A good summer read, easy to read and well written with some depth to the characters and plot. It's summer on Dragonfly Lake. Bella has come home to help her mother in her shop. Morgan and her up-and-coming husband have bought a large lake home to enterain and impress clients. And artist, Natalie, takes up her aunts offer to house sit and devote he time to her art. All three women are struggling to find thier place in life and love. Should Bella marry Aaron and move to California, away from her b...more
This was a First Reads Giveaway Win
At first I thought this was going to be your typical contemporary romance / summer read/ chic lit book. The deeper into the story I got the more I found in Summer Breeze that exceeded my expectations. While the book focuses on these three different women, all new friends at different points in their lives, we also read about the women who raised them. While you definitely get the feel that Natalie, Bella and Morgan are fast and lasting friends, I loved how real...more
At first I thought this was going to be your typical contemporary romance / summer read/ chic lit book. The deeper into the story I got the more I found in Summer Breeze that exceeded my expectations. While the book focuses on these three different women, all new friends at different points in their lives, we also read about the women who raised them. While you definitely get the feel that Natalie, Bella and Morgan are fast and lasting friends, I loved how real...more
I received this book as an advance copy through Goodreads. So to begin with a summary:
The book is about 3 families who live on the east coast in a lake area. While the book does encompass each member of the families, it mainly focuses on three woman. Bella from the Barnaby clan, Natalie, the artist, and Morgan the stay at home mom.
With Bella we see her struggle to figure out what she wants from life and if that will include her boyfriend Aaron and his possible new job. Natalie tends to be a bit...more
The book is about 3 families who live on the east coast in a lake area. While the book does encompass each member of the families, it mainly focuses on three woman. Bella from the Barnaby clan, Natalie, the artist, and Morgan the stay at home mom.
With Bella we see her struggle to figure out what she wants from life and if that will include her boyfriend Aaron and his possible new job. Natalie tends to be a bit...more
Due to her mother's broken leg, Bella, former Texas third grade teacher, comes home to Dragonfly Lake near Amhearst, MA. She hasn't yet found her passion in life yet, career- wise anyway, but now she is back she has found out how much she likes running her mother's shop; not the way it is now but the way it could be.
Aaron, Bella's soon-to-be fiancé gets an offer of his dream job in San Francisco so he wants Bella to go with him but she doesn't want to leave Dragonfly Lake although she insists s...more
Three women, with common quandaries, move to beautiful Dragonfly Lake, surrounded by woodland in the Berkshires. For Bella, it's just a move back home - it's where she grew up surrounded by family. Her Mom unfortunately fell from a ladder, breaking her leg, so Bella gave up her teaching job in Texas and hurried home to run her Mom's shop. Natalie is house-sitting for her aunt and hoping the quiet summer will help her return to the passion of painting. Morgan, a hazardous materials expert, and ma...more
Summer Breeze is a satisfying summer/beach read. This was my first Nancy Thayer book and I welcomed the setting in Dragonfly Lake, just outside the Amherst area, since it is an area I lived in for five years. I loved that I knew first-hand many of the restaurants, shops, and of course, campuses, that were referenced in the story. The story is centered around three women who form a bond with one another over one summer. All three women seem to be lacking in confidence in at least one aspect of th...more
Three women spending the summer on the shores of a New England lake meet at a barbecue and form a tentative friendship. Morgan, a young mother, is desperately missing her job as a scientist and trying to cope with her husband's all-consuming new job and the showplace home it requires them to keep up. Natalie has fled New York's hectic pace to house-sit for her aunt and use the time to try to finally establish herself as an artist. Bella isn't sure exactly what she should be doing, but she loves...more
Three young women find themselves neighbors on a lake outside of Amherst, MA. Even though they are very different they find themselves bonding with one another and providing support for each other as they face the difficulties that life sometimes brings and cheering one another on when joys come their way. It is their very humaness that makes the story work.
It is an enjoyable, fast beach read type of book. I enjoyed it especially since I once lived outside of Amherst. I am grateful that once aga...more
It is an enjoyable, fast beach read type of book. I enjoyed it especially since I once lived outside of Amherst. I am grateful that once aga...more
A perfect summer novel to read out on the porch with some iced tea-or in my case a margarita! In respect to it's title, it's a breeze to get through. I have always believed that family is important, along with your best friends. This book exemplifies that in the sense that Bella, Natalie, and Morgan build not only a close friendship, but a relationship with eachother's family during their summer together as neighbors on Dragonfly Lake. They manage to go after their dreams; Natalie with her art,...more
This was about what I expected - a light, fairly engaging read, where all the characters are nearly perfect, have no "real" problems, and everyone lives happily ever after. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. You could pretty much predict what was going to happen. My favorite part of the book was the descriptions of lake living, as I could relate to those the most. My least favorite part was how easily Bella got her store opened and was a smashing success - totally unrealistic!
This wa...more
This wa...more
Enjoyable summer read about three women at crossroads in their lives. Bella is in love with Aaron but not sure she wants to live on the other side of the country, far from her family. Morgan's husband works long hours and Morgan misses work and they way she and her husband used to be before he took such a demanding job, she had a baby and gave up her job. Natalie is staying in her aunt's house on the lake, next door to Morgan and Bella; she is trying to make it as an artist. Their lives intertwi...more
New Friendships Bring Clarity to the Lives of Those Involved and Some Even Realize their Lifelong Dreams.
This was a good beach-type read and overall I enjoyed the story. I was annoyed from time to time because the conversations didn't seem acccurate at times. These were supposed to be new friends but some of them talked to each other like they were more like family ... ordering them around etc. For instance, if your (new) friend was supposed to help you paint but then her husband wasn't home to...more
This was a good beach-type read and overall I enjoyed the story. I was annoyed from time to time because the conversations didn't seem acccurate at times. These were supposed to be new friends but some of them talked to each other like they were more like family ... ordering them around etc. For instance, if your (new) friend was supposed to help you paint but then her husband wasn't home to...more
This is an ok read. I'd call it a beach read. Possibly because I am about twice the age of the women in the book, I could see how a lot of their problems were or were not going to resolve themselves. I will say the author does a good job of communicating that it best to look before you leap in most of life's circumstances. This doesn't mean that the characters don't move swiftly once they have made decisions, but they do give their actions some considerable thought and they try to see what is re...more
This new book by Nancy Thayer is amazing! I was lucky enough to win a copy of the book before it was published. I've never won anything in my life, so I was definitely shocked. I was happy to discover upon reading it that I loved it. Granted, it did take me quite a while to finally put a review up. It'll be short and sweet and I'll keep it as much to the point as possible. Although the characters in this novel are in their 30's, I still absolutely enjoyed it, even as a 17-year-old. The characte...more
"I first read Nancy Thayer in the mid-1980s, when she wrote Nell, which featured what is now the Prototypical WF Plot. In the mid 80s, though, a story about a woman with children who takes charge of her life after her husband cheats on her was fairly novel. Terms of Endearment, after all, had only come out in 1983. Summer Breeze is an entirely different sort of WF novel. Call it post-Chick Lit if you will, but it follows the lives one summer of three 30ish women living on the idyllic Dragon Lake...more
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Nancy Thayer has a B.A. and M.A. in English literature from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Before settling down to write and have children she taught English at various colleges and traveled, living in Paris, Amsterdam and Helsinki. In 1981 she was a Fellow at the Breadloaf Writers Conference. She has lived on Nantucket Island year round for twenty-five years with her husband Charley W...more
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Feb 18, 2013 07:26pm
May 09, 2013 09:35am