About this item
"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.Praise for Secrets in Summer"Full of rich details about life on Nantucket, this breezy tale is at once nostalgic and hopeful. . . . The story is filled with sweet moments of unlikely female connections. An easily digestible, warmhearted tale of eye-opening friendships." - Kirkus Reviews "[Nancy] Thayer's latest is a lovely and heartwarming contemporary read with its blend of humor and emotion set against the beautiful backdrop of Nantucket Island. Her well-crafted plot is infused with warmth and heartfelt, tender moments. Darcy is a strong, independent yet vulnerable heroine who will appeal to readers. Thayer's engaging storytelling and authentic, endearing characters will keep readers turning the pages." - RT Book Reviews "Thayer's beachside novel brims with themes that women's-fiction readers love, and the plot skims important issues - infidelity, fear of commitment, grief - while maintaining its focus on Darcy's personal growth and the intergenerational friendship between the four women." - BOOKLIST (starred review) "Secrets in Summer is the quintessential beach book. Nantucket proved to be the perfect, and perfectly gorgeous, setting for this slightly soap opera-ish story filled to the brim with honest emotions and personal growth." - Harlequin Junkie Praise for Nancy Thayer The Island House "A touching story about friendship, family, and the uncertainty of love." - Bustle "Quick-paced, thoroughly engaging, and heartwarming." - The Insatiable Reader The Guest Cottage "A sweet book with romance, laughter, and love after loss . . . Thayer knows her Nantucket history, and it shines in this book." - RT Book Reviews "It's a pleasant escape to a state of mind in which rebuilding a life is as simple as pitching an umbrella and spreading out a towel." - Kirkus Reviews Nantucket Sisters "Thayer obviously knows her Nantucket, and the strong sense of place makes this the perfect escapist book for the summer, particularly for fans of Elin Hilderbrand." - Booklist "Thayer keeps readers on the edge of their seats with her dramatic story spanning the girls' childhood to adulthood." - Library Journal
About the Author
I grew up in Kansas, surrounded by prairie, but thirty-five years ago I came to Nantucket to visit a friend who introduced me to the love of my life. Charley and I have now lived on Nantucket for 33 years--year-round, as we say, so I have a special feeling for this island and for the people who come here. I love the island most in the winter when the waves crash dramatically on the shore.I have a bachelor's and master's degree in English literature from the University of Missouri at Kansas City, and I still go to KC often to visit my darling baby sister, who inspires many of the characters in my book. Yes, she is blond, and yes, she is 9 years younger than I am. I still love her.For a few years, I taught freshman English in several states, and had short stories published in literary reviews. My first novel, Stepping, was published by Doubleday in 1980, and started me off on the career I've always wanted. I was a Fellow at the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference in 1980 and in 2015, I received the RT Career Achievement Award. I've published 30 novels--all available on Amazon--including Secrets in Summer, The Island House, The Guest Cottage, Nantucket Sisters, and Island Girls. A Nantucket Wedding was my 30th. The upcoming Surfside Sisters will be out July, 2019! Champagne for everyone!When I'm not writing novels--all 30 are available on Amazon--I'm walking the beach with my husband or entertaining our 4 grandchildren & their parents & our friends. All my novels are about family and friendships, which I believe are the foundation of a happy, if complicated, life.
