The Guest Cottage

by Nancy Thayer

Sensible thirty-six-year-old Sophie Anderson has always known what to do. She knows her role in life: supportive wife of a successful architect and calm, capable mother of two. But on a warm summer night, as the house grows quiet around her and her children fall asleep, she wonders what’s missing from her life. When her husband echoes that lonely question, announcing that he’s leaving her for another woman, Sophie realizes she has no idea what’s next. Impulsively renting a guest cottage on Nantucket from her friend Susie Swenson, Sophie rounds up her kids, Jonah and Lacey, and leaves Boston for a quiet family vacation, minus one.

Also minus one is Trevor Black, a software entrepreneur who has recently lost his wife. Trevor is the last person to imagine himself, age thirty and on his own, raising a little boy like Leo—smart and sweet, but grappling constantly with his mother’s death, growing more and more closed off. Hoping a quiet summer on the Nantucket coast will help him reconnect with Leo, Trevor rents a guest house on the beautiful island from his friend Ivan Swenson.

Best-laid plans run awry when Sophie and Trevor realize they’ve mistakenly rented the same house. Still, determined to make this a summer their kids will always remember, the two agree to share the Swensons’ Nantucket house. But as the summer unfolds and the families grow close, Sophie and Trevor must ask themselves if the guest cottage is all they want to share.

Inspiring and true to life, The Guest Cottage is Nancy Thayer at her finest, inscribing in graceful, knowing prose matters of the heart and the meaning of family.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Summer Reads, Beach Reads, Contemporary, Summer

336 pages, Hardcover

First published May 12, 2015

About the author

Nancy Thayer has published 35 novels, including Family Reunion and Secrets in Summer. She has lived on Nantucket Island year-round for 38 years with her husband Charley Walters. They have two children and five grandchildren.

Reviews

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Contemporary Romance/Women's Fiction/Chick-lit. This is a great beach/summer read. I really loved this book. This is the third time I read this book, and I love it so much. I know I will reread it again. Sophie finds out her husband is cheating on her and wants a divorce, so she decides to go on a vacation to Nantucket. Trevor and his young son is getting over the lost of his wife to a drug overdose. By mistake both Sophie and Trevor is renting the same Cottage from the summer, and they decided to stay there together. Their kids fall in love with each other while they fall in love with each other. I loved this book so much, and the Cottage sounded so lovely. I have read this book four times so far and I give it 5 stars each time.

[Sharon Redfern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I read one of Ms. Thayer's Nantucket books, I want to grab my charge card and book a trip there. Since that isn't going to happen, reading her book is the next best thing. In the latest book, Sophie has been blindsided by her husband asking for a divorce. Even though the tow have drifted apart, she is shocked and decides to take her two kids to Nantucket for the summer after her friend offers to let her rent her house. Recently widowed Trevor and his little boy Leo also decide to rent the same house from the other owner. After the initial confusion, both parties decide that they can work it out in the big old house and stay.

Sophie and Trevor are definitely attracted to each other but their is an age difference and Sophie isn't even sure if she is getting divorced or not. Leo has emotional problems that being in a big family environment seem to be helping with. Sophie's kids are more aware of the situation than she knows. Friends come and go, there are some fling possibilities for both Sophie and Trevor but they continue to get closer.

I loved the flow of this book. Even though it starts with a traumatic experience, it's telling that Sophie just shrugs it off and hustles her kids out of the house and off to Nantucket. Even though her husband is a cad, he makes some good points about the state of their marriage that Sophie isn't ready to acknowledge. Once she gets to the beach and settles into a family routine with Trevor, she has the chance to really look at her life and face reality. She also finds her way back to music which was a huge part of her life.

For Trevor, the beach house gives him a chance to see Leo in a different light and to relax a little about his quirks. He can also come to terms with his feelings about his deceased wife and her relationships with both him and Leo.

This is a lovely read as one always expects from Nancy Thayer.

[Megan Stokes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Before I travel somewhere I like to read books that take place in the spot I'm visiting. It was eerie walking the streets of Pompeii after reading the Novel with the same name. Or pulling up in a train to Berlin as I finished The Fall of Berlin 1945. Next month I'm headed to Nantucket, so I picked up the Guest Cottage.

This is one of the most lazily written predictable books I've ever read. From the very beginning I found myself wishing I could follow the husband's storyline as he goes off with his younger assistant. While cliche, he at least seemed to be living an interesting life. Meanwhile I was stuck with Sophie, who is essentially a nothings-going-on-in-my-life, overly-cautious, rich, home-maker. (Yawn.)

Right after this book I picked up "We Were Liars" which is a *young adult* novel that takes place on a private island between Nantucket and the Vineyard. It was a thousand times better written, and more interesting. Do yourself a favor and go get that book instead.

[Sheri Dietz · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found both the main characters of this book totally unbelievable in their motivations and actions . The main female character was wishy-washy and had no gumption whatsoever. The male love interest was likewise, wishy washy and gumptionless--SPOILER ALERT-- how could a man be attracted to one lady then sleep with her "good friend" then, how could said lady remain attracted to him thereafter, much less forgiving and amenable to her "good friend"--puhleeze!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nancy Thayer continues to be one of my favorite authors. She can take a very simple plot and turned it into something beautiful. The story revolves around a single father and his son and a soon to be divorced mother and her two children. There are other characters that share space with them but it is the couple's story that the author focuses on. It is a story of family and passion that the woman in the story believed was gone from her life.I wanted to be on Nantucket and look at the Sea gulls and rub my toes in the sand along with the characters. It's a beautiful read and highly recommended. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Ashlynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been wanting to review this for quite some time, but I just can't describe how excellent it was. The divorce was heartbreaking and the whole affair part was like wow. I loveddddddd how the characters that ended up sharing the Guest Cottage got along *wink wink nudge nudge* There weren't graphic scenes but an amazing love story so praise for that. I felt like I was right there with them in the pages. I laughed a lot and then was like wow temper tantrum I feel ya *little kids though* I loved this book. When I bought it I was just winging it, I wanted to read random books from an Outlet store and see how it turned out, all of the ones I picked I loved greatly! Definitely recommend this book.

[Judy Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

A special thank you to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nancy Thayer delivers THE GUEST COTTAGE, a Nantucket, lighthearted summer romance, perfect for leisure summer beach days, or relaxing sunset evenings.

Sophie and Zach, married sixteen years, with faded passion in their marriage –resides in Boston with a teenage son, Jonah age fifteen, and daughter, Lacy age ten. One evening, Sophie focuses on her calendar and notes her husband has typed in April 11, discuss div with S? Divorce?? Zach the former high school football hero had just turned forty and was showing all the signs of trying to gain back his youth with a Mustang convertible and Grecian formula for his hair.

This was not the perfect timing Zach had planned; however, since she is now bringing it up, he makes Sophie aware he does indeed want a divorce. But what about the children? Of course, as she suspected it is Lila, the young one, from work and he loves her. Of course, she makes him feel young and he wants to move in with her, as he is now rushing her to separation and then divorce.

Humiliated, Sophie lets her husband know she was planning on renting a summer home in Nantucket for July and August, the guest house behind the main house. She thought if she could get her husband away, maybe he would change his mind. No go. Well, she is going anyway as she needs time away with the kids, even though Zach will not pay, she will get it from her Aunt Fancy, the aunt she had always admired and she had left her some mad money. Sophie was certainly mad at Zach.

The idea of spending her inheritance to rent a house on Nantucket was downright epic for her, but she decides she will go and lets Susie Swenson know she will take it.

Little does Sophie know, Trevor Black, age thirty (younger), has also rented the same guest house from his old college friend, Ivan Swenson. Trevor’s wife died in November, and he is raising his four year old son, Leo; they are seeing a psychologist and he needs a getaway. He has his own computer business, so he can work from anywhere.

Susie was getting excited about the house, especially when she sees the piano. Unfortunately, when they discover they both are renting the same cottage, neither wants to give up the house. They find out quickly they both rented from the Swenson cousins which evidently are lacking in the communication skills area.

They both have only verbal agreements, and decide to compromise. They do not have another choice. Being the house was rather big, they decide to both stay and share the cottage, after all they could each have their own wings.

Now here, Sophie was with a strange man and a child, and she was not was not good at spontaneity, as she preferred her routine and organization. However, she decides that will soon go out the window, since she will be a single parent; her life had been shattered.

What comes next is too totally different adults and a mix of children, with Trevor being insulted by Sophie’s questioning his child rearing tactics. However, they soon start on an adventure, mixed with humor for an unexpected summer of reinvention, and possibly serendipity, fate, and a miracle thrown in.

Fans of chicklit, women's fiction, family drama, humor, and contemporary, without a lot of suspense, will enjoy this summer romance, of starting over with two families--who may have more in common than they may think.

[Jackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

About the only thing I can say about this book: vapid.

[Jordana Horn Gordon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I read this or why I kept reading it.

[Raegan · Rating 2 out of 5]

-Originally posted on The Reading Room-

I gave this book two stars because the book just didn't feel like it was finished. For every book I read I look for something that makes that book special. May it be the characters,the world/setting, or even the hidden meaning behind the books words. This book just didn't have that special something. The author did a good job describing the island the first time but after that every scene seemed the exact same just described a little different each time. The characters in this book were very annoying. 3/4 of the characters were kids and the father in this book hasn't really matured enough to be in this book. The characters needed more detail and/or to be more likable. All that put aside the plot slowly went downhill. Everything in this book was predictable. From the very first scene to the books last breath. I had an idea where the book was going. Sometimes it is good for a book to be a little bit predictable but this was just ridiculous. I did however like how the two main characters only had a chapter for each of their lives before and went straight to the point. But I still feel it needed to be slowed down a little then. Maybe this book would have been better if it had more detail on everything and wouldn't have been as slow and boring as it was.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure if this book could be any more boring, drawn out or redundant. I understand that when it comes to certain authors and certain genres that the reader has to suspend belief, but Nancy Thayer has taken that to a completely new level.

Picture if you will, a thirty-six year old woman with two children that has been in a loveless marriage for years, who just happens to rent the same cottage for the same summer as a recently widowed man with a troubled young son. Of course, they are both attractive but yet the woman could not possibly be interested in a thirty-year-old man because he is so young. Really? A six year difference and that is her first concern.

Doing the obvious dance around each other and making up excuses to be apart and yet doing everything within their power to make the other jealous, they inevitable fall into bed together with only days left on their vacation while of course having to sneak since they do not want the kids to know or heaven forbid her mother finding out. Geez.

I love a little mindless summer reading but this book was awful. Nancy Thayer kept throwing in people and situations that were supposed to add depth to the story but only it made it more ridiculous. I see that she is a well-liked author, but this book did not do anything for me and to be quite honest, I have no desire to check out anymore by her.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my first Thayer novel. and now I'm thinking it is probably my last. I was really excited to start this book, I love a good beachy read. It had a very interesting and promising storyline. But there was absolutely no chemistry, no emotion, no feeling. Even the dramas and conflicts were blase. Sophie accepted her husband's request for a divorce after 16 years with no tears. She found out her friend slept with the guy she was romantically interested in and had no reaction, there was no confrontation. This was the most unrealistic book I've ever read. Leo's tantrums, meltdowns (I'm assuming he was autistic, but this was never named) were ridiculous to the point of making me skim over them, his father treated him like a basketcase, no one was connected. The beyond-quick romance between Sophie and Trevor was ridiculous. At the end everything was tied up in a pretty bow, everyone was married, happy, and there were no problems within any of it. There were times this book could have become good, but for me it just never happened. I'm sure I laughed out loud in places I shouldn't have. And I have a headache from all my eye rolls. Sorry to be mean, but this was a stinker.

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars to The Guest Cottage on audio. Sometimes I need a somewhat predictable beachy read with a great happily-ever-after, and this delivered. Fun Nantucket setting, too.

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sophie Anderson’s world falls apart when her husband announce she is leaving. In an effort to come to terms with what has happened, she uses an inheritance from her Aunt Fancy and rents a house on Nantucket Island for her and her two children, Jonah and Lacey. Unbeknown to her, Trevor Black has also rented the same property for him and his five year old son Leo. When it turns out they have both rented the same place it makes sense to share for the summer since the house is large. But will such an arrangement work out? Or will too many problems arise and make it impossible?
From the beginning of this novel it seemed pretty obvious which way the story would go. It was not without a few complications thrown in. Leo’s tantrums and rigid behaviour were one thing and understandable given the loss of his mother. Incidents with Sophie’s friend Angie who come to visit seemed totally an unnecessary and pointless inclusion. The introduction of Hristo was only slightly less credible. However the elderly neighbour Conner was a great addition.
I used to really like Nancy Thayer’s books. Now I am not sure if it is my reading has changed or her writing. If you are looking for a light chick lit type of story then this may appeal. I thought it was okay but felt it could have done with being a lot shorter. It also tended toward the predictable. As for the neatly wrapped up ending that stretched credibility too far for me. But it may well appeal to others.

[KAS · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable Women's Lit read! I connected right away with the characters, who were genuine, and I found myself really caring what was happening in their lives. There was plenty of meaty substance to the storyline that kept me guessing about the outcome, and even some angst thrown in which kept me turning the pages.

Some may think the events were just a little too convenient, but I was truly too entertained and involved to care ;) I was ready for some good old fashioned sappiness that was written beautifully with wonderful conversation.

We meet Sophie and her two children, ages fifteen and ten, at a point where her husband has just come home and told her he wants a divorce after sixteen years of marriage because he is in love with his much younger co-worker. She takes her son and daughter to Nantucket for the summer and rents a cottage from her friend Susie to evaluate her life and marriage. It is delightful what she unearths about herself.

Trevor is a devoted father of four year old, Leo, who is having anxiety issues due to his mother's death from a drug overdose nearly a year ago. When Trevor's friend, Ian calls and offers up his summer home in Nantucket for the summer, he jumps at the opportunity, hoping it will be just what he and Leo need to heal. Trevor is a hottie, who doesn't act like one, which was so refreshing. His deceased wife was a piece of work, so he needs to clear his head of all the crazy stuff that went down.

Sophie and Trevor quickly learn upon arriving to Nantucket, they have rented the same cottage house for the same time period. Neither wanting to cancel their plans, decide to share the large home, which has two separate bedroom wings, for a week and see how it goes. What transpires between these two charming individuals, as well as the bond that develops between their children, is just very touching, and they discover what being a family is really all about.

[Bella South · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started this novel last night and gave up within 30 minutes. To begin with, the author should have spent a LOT more time on the first scene. Some character development would have been nice too. What should have been a dramatic, emotionally-charged scenario read more like a casual business transaction - and left me feeling unfulfilled and frustrated. It was if the author wanted to hurry through all the preliminaries and get to the Nantucket setting. What little was revealed about the characters was unrealistic, and they weren't believable in their emotions and actions. I see I'm not alone in my assessment now that I've read the negative reviews (which I avoid before starting a new book.) No harm done though - it was a free download from my library. :-)

[Mrs Mommy Booknerd http://mrsmommybooknerd.blogspot.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Another brilliant book from the mind of a master storyteller, Nancy Thayer. The Guest Cottage has been set in a wonderful location. I wish I could jump inside the book and escape to Nantucket and walk the shore with my toes in the sand! In addition to the beautiful and magical setting, Thayer has a way she creates characters that readers can relate to...they could be one of us. It is the characters and their personal journeys that keep us coming back to the books of the wonderful and talented Thayer. I instantly feel in love with The Guest Cottage and think that this is one of those books that are perfect for a summer read. 4.5 stars

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light chic lit kind of book 📖
I devoured this book during a camping 🏕 stay, using reading as a break from sunshine, cooking, walking, etc. This is the story of Sophie and Trevor, two people who end up sharing a spacious home on Nantucket Island for the summer, due to crossed wires by the cousins who own the place. Sophie is on the island 🏝 with her kids with a divorce from her architect husband in the back of her mind. Trevor is a newly widowed computer guru who comes to the island 🏝 with his four year old son Leo and who has some grieving issues to work out. That said, the story / plot includes some rather far fetched notions including the affordability of an entire summer in the moneyed island, the availability of dream-boat handsome and well to do men, the sumptuous meals, and women with perfect figures. Not terribly believable for my taste, but a welcome diversion from real life for 3 days 😆

[Eva • All Books Considered · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review to come soon!

ETA:

Review originally posted at All Books Considered

I have a true affinity for books set on Nantucket (my favorite of all time has to be The Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand), and The Guest Cottage is no exception! Even though I have never been to Nantucket, I feel like I know it so well from reading these books -- it's so easy to immerse yourself in the world of this tiny island with long summer days on the beach. All I could think about the entire time I was devouring this book was being there -- it seemed so real from Nancy Thayer's descriptions. I was rooting for Sophie and Trevor hard core the entire book -- Trevor is so, so good and I really loved that any intimacy beyond friendship didn't happen right away. This book is the perfect beach read and it has me in a serious mood for summer!

I definitely recommend this for anyone who wants a perfect beach read, a book set on Nantucket, and/or fans of Elin Hilderbrand. I'm definitely keeping The Guest Cottage on my beach reads shelf and I know I will re-read it!

So this was lust. It might even be love. She liked him, she admired him, and every time he came into her view her heart did a happy dance. She wanted to hang a full-length poster of him on her bedroom wall. She wanted to carry a photo of him as the screen saver on her iPhone. She wanted to shackle him to her body with chains and locks. She wanted to kiss every freckle, ever muscle, even the bottoms of his long, bony feet. She wanted to lie on top o him and fit her body to hi, arm to arm, leg to let, breasts to hairy chest.
Apparently she had finally, at the age of thirty-six, achieved her teenage self.

[Christina (Confessions of a Book Addict) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sophie has always made all the right decisions in life. She supports her husband and his successful career; plus, she takes care of their two children. Their family has always been blissfully happy together or have they? Sophie finds out her successful architect husband, Zack, has been cheating on her and now wants a divorce. He's in love with his younger colleague and instead of being devastated by this huge blow, Sophie wants to know how it will impact the children. Maybe things weren't so great between them after all? One things she knows is that she needs time to sort this out and thanks to a friend, she is renting a house on Nantucket for two months this summer and bringing along her kids. The beach fixes everything, right? Once she gets there, someone else is renting the large house as well. A man named Trevor and his young son, Leo. There's been a mixup with the rental agreement and since both families would be crushed to leave, Sophie and Trevor maturely decide to share the house since it's a McMansion anyway. Plus, how could they decide who stays and who goes if neither party has a rental contract? Trevor is also trying to escape and give an idyllic summer to his fragile son, Leo. You see, his wife has died (drug overdose) and this has left Leo deeply saddened. Trevor is hoping this vacation will help Leo heal, but little did he know it would help him as well. Two broken families find solace at the beach this summer and possibly even love in Nancy Thayer's The Guest Cottage.

Read the rest of my review here:
http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Guest Cottage by Nancy Thayer is a delightful summer read. And if you are reading it in winter, well that's no problem because the promises of summer abound in this book.

Sophie finds herself on the island of Nantucket with her two children Lacey and Jonah. She has come for the summer break after discovering that her husband wants a divorce. By chance she finds that the house they have booked has been double booked and she ends up sharing with Trevor and his son Leo.

Trevor's wife has died, but it seems like it was never much of a match anyway, but Trevor's son Leo is still traumatised by the loss of his mother and Trevor is worried.

As it turns out this is an important time in all their lives. Sophie finds a piano at the house and is soon recovering her lost love of music and the piano. That is not the only surprise for her this summer, if her husband doesn't want her, there are at least a couple that do.

Trevor finds he too is dealing with women throwing themselves at him, and not subtly either. The most important person though in his life is Leo, and as the summer progresses sea, sand and sun plus family begin to work miracles.

Nantucket Island sounds like a wonderful place to be, away from city pressures. This was a very pleasant easy to read book, my first by Nancy Thayer. I will certainly be keeping my eye out for more to read from her talented 'pen'.

[Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gah. It was good until near the end. The bit wuth Sophie's mom came out of left field as did Trevor's actions. The epilogue was so sweet my teeth hurt.

[Lori Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

View on my blog at http://palmerspageturners.blogspot.co...

Surprisingly, this was the first book I've read by Nancy Thayer! It certainly won't be my last! I loved this book. I immediately was hooked into the book and read it in a 24 hour period--appropriately while staying in a vacation rental at the beach with my family. I loved the story and I loved the characters. I fell in love with all of them, especially little Leo. I loved watching Sophie and Trevor's relationship develop over the course of the summer and found myself wanting to devour one of Sophie's delicious meals! It also made me want to visit Nantucket!



What I also loved about this book was that it went a bit deeper than your usual romance--Sophie is on the brink of divorce, and Trevor's wife recently passed away--so it deals with issues of divorce and grieving a loved one's death. The book shows how all the characters react to their different situations, and how those emotions and feelings help them understand and bond with each other.



I loved the author's writing style! It flows well, is easy to read, and is engaging. This book was hard to put down. The story was real, emotional, believable, and entertaining. I loved it and by the end I wanted to know more! This is the perfect weekend beach read--you won't regret reading this one. I can't wait to read more of Nancy Thayer's books now that I've discovered how much I like her!

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

The book takes place over one summer. Sophie and her two children are offered the opportunity to rent a beach cottage on Nantucket, and since Sophie's husband has just told her he is in love with another woman and wants a divorce, Sophie willingly escapes to the island to think.

Trevor and his troubled young son Leo receive the same offer from another family member, and he and Leo arrive to discover Sophie and her children already in the house. The two families decide to share the house and end up spending the summer together.

One of the things I really like about all of Nancy Thayer's books is the setting; most take place on Nantucket. Nantucket is one of those remote islands that are big tourist destinations in the summer, yet people live on the island year round. There is something romantic in that. I find her characters all really likeable - even the not-so-nice ones. In this book, Sophie is struggling with the idea of divorce, and Trevor is struggling with how his son is coping with the death of his mother. There are other side plots and stories intermingled as well.

This would be a great beach read. It is a Feel-Good book from start to finish.

[norcalgal · Rating 1 out of 5]

I ended up DNF'ing this book. From the get-go, both main characters were just so unreal in their emotions and actions.

Let's start with Sophie. Her husband of 16 years drops a bombshell on her about wanting a divorce. He compounds that by stating he's in love with his younger (and apparently more beautiful) colleague and will move in with her until the divorce is settled. Although the relationship between Sophie and her husband Zack is a little rocky, you'd expect more emotion from Sophie. Her reaction is fairly muted and a little complacent. WTF?! That just was so unrealistic!
Then, at the cottage, Sophie has inappropriate thoughts and feelings about Trevor. It's much too soon for her to react this way, but she is not only attracted to Trevor, she even has one fantasy of imagining him having her "up against the sink".

As for Trevor, it's been some months since his wife died, so his attraction to Sophie isn't quite as improper, but it still rang untrue.

I would have been able to overlook all this if Nancy Thayer's writing was good. Instead, I found her prose dull and labored. I have other books in my To Be Read pile, so didn't care to spend another minute on this drivel.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

The guest cottage by Nancy Thayer
Have read some of the other works by the author and have enjoyed the books.
This one starts out with Sophie checking Zach, her husbands calendar on the computer-he's an architect and she thought he may have made an appointment and she had forgotten.
She noticed the abbreviation DIV and she asks him about it-he wants a divorce.
She's heading to the island, her friend has a guest cottage there and she'll have the two kids with her.
he story also follows Trevor and his son who Susie-the landlord tells her will also be at the cottage. It's a large enough place for them all.
He's lost his wife and their son is still having a hard emotional time dealing with it. Good to follow what each of them are going through and they work out problems that arise and schedules.
They are more than attracted to each other...
Two months at the beach, love the scenes with smells and sights of the island.
Amazing how things work out in the end.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

[Mom2triplets04 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sophie at age 36 goes to Nantucket with her two children Jonah (age 15) and Lacey (age 11) after her husband Zack leaves her for another woman. She rents a cottage. However, Trevor age 30 also rented the same cottage with his son Leo (age 6). But they make it work for the summer. Within the 2 months the families grow close. It was a true to life story that grabs at your heart and shows the meaning of family.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book to take on vacation. No matter where you decide to go, it will really add to your fun!

I almost wish I had saved this for summer, but it did a great job of lifting me out of February's winter blues.
I loved the Guest House. You'll wish you could stay there too! Very well written, lots of dynamics, quality drama, if you can call it that.
I am not one who reads this particular genre but for a mystery lover, this was a great change!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can Nancy Thayer even write a bad book? This is the best kind of summer read at the beach in the mountains or at home on the porch swing. I would like to hear more about Sophie and Trevor and summers at Nantucket.

[Tea Leaves and Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was published in 2015 and has been on my ‘To Read’ list for quite some time! I decided to pop it in my ‘Thirty Books – Thirtieth Year’ reading list and found the perfect time to finish it. Autumn is here so it was the perfect opportunity to dive into a bit of Summer by visiting Nantucket through the words of Nancy Thayer.

Turning simple plots into something intricate and beautiful with scenery that will make you booking the next flight – these are Nancy Thayer’s talents and in The Guest Cottage this is no exception.

My only criticism was that I wasn’t invested at all in Sophie and her husbands relationship. Spoiler – neither were they apparently! But from the start it was very abrupt and there wasn’t any build up – nothing to give you their history together and it felt like she was making excuses for falling for someone else by saying that really she never married for love in the beginning anyway. You can’t fit everything into a novel though and this aside, the book was beautiful and the characters great.