Review: Secrets in Summer by Nancy Thayer (audio)

Title:Secrets in Summer

Author:Nancy Thayer

Narrator:Amy McFadden

Published:May 2017, Brilliance Audio

Length:10 hours 51 minutes

Source:Publisher

The queen of beach books (The Star-Ledger)
returns to the shores of Nantucket in a novel about one memorable
summer when flirtations flourish, family dramas play out, and scandalous
secrets surface.

Memorial Day weekend means that seasonal
visitors have descended on the glamorous island of Nantucket. For
year-round resident Darcy Cotterill, it means late-night stargazing in
the backyard of the beautiful house she grew up in and inherited from
her beloved grandmother. It s also Darcy s chance to hit the beach and
meet her new summertime neighbors. But the last person the
thirty-year-old librarian expects to see staying next door is her
ex-husband, Boyz, along with his wife, Autumn, and stepdaughter, Willow.

Darcy
must also navigate the highs and lows of a new romantic relationship
with local carpenter Nash Forester even as she becomes smitten with
handsome vacationer Clive Rush, a musicologist in town to write a book
and visit family. And she finds herself pulled into the concerns of
Boyz, Autumn, a charming elderly neighbor, and an at-risk teen.

As
the season nears its end, Darcy must decide her next move: retreating
to the comforts of her steady and secure island life, or risking it all
for a chance at true happiness.

My thoughts: Nancy Thayer is another author, much like my favorite Elin Hilderbrand, whose books signify the hallmark of summer. And also like Elin Hilderbrand, she has set most of her books on Nantucket – my absolute favorite summer reading destination locale. 

This was such a fun story – I loved the characters and the story line was engaging and kept my interest. I could see parts of myself in Darcy – how she finds herself caught up with everyone else’s problems. I loved the bond she developed with both Mimi, the charming elderly neighbor on one side of her house as well as Willow, who just happens to be her ex-husband’s step-daughter. These two, along with another neighbor, become quite close, and they all end up learning a thing or two from each other. I love the sass that Mimi, the matriarch of the group has. The relationships that Darcy builds during this one summer felt real and true.

What I love about this book, as with all of Nancy Thayer’s books, is that they are quick escapes. This one is about friendship and love, and about learning to let go about the past. It’s about having goals and working towards that future, but also about learning to be flexible with those goals. I loved that Darcy was a librarian – especially that she was a librarian on Nantucket – talk about the ultimate dream job!!!

Audio thoughts:Amy McFadden is such a great narrator and she did a great job with this this narration. She was able to give all the characters their own unique voices, infusing just the right amount of emotion, tension and humor into her voice as needed. She even did a great job with the kids voices! I’ve listened to her in the past and know I am going to have a good listening experience when I see her name on an audio book!