Dottie and Jennifer have similar tastes in books so you’ll often see them reviewing the same books. But sometimes they have differing opinions. This is one of those times. The world would be pretty boring if we all loved the same books, right? Today they are chatting about Nancy Thayer’s The Island House. While they both enjoyed the book, Dottie liked it a bit more than Jennifer. Keep reading to find out what they have to say about the book.
Summary: The Island House belongs to the Vickerey family who share each summer with their children’s friends. Susannah, the matriarch of the family calls them her “summer children”. Robin Vickery’s best friend and college roommate, Courtney, who hails from Kansas has been spending summers with the Vickerey’s. Approaching her 30th birthday, she needs to make a decision between her life back in Kansas and her growing love for Robin’s brother James.
Dottie’s 4-star review ~ Nancy Thayer takes us back to Nantucket for another great summer beach read. The story goes back and forth in time to tell all of the character’s back stories, with Robin and Courtney being the main storyline. With so many different characters, it was easy to be a bit confused at first. However, Nancy Thayer develops these character’s stories in such a way that it all comes together wonderfully. This was a heartwarming story of long lasting friendships, family problems and triumphs. A perfect book to read while sticking your toes in the sand this summer!
Jennifer’s 3-star review ~ The description of this book sounded promising but in the end it didn’t invoke a lot of emotion. It seemed to go on and on about way too many characters without settling down and really diving into any of their stories. The Vickerey’s are a family of six that always have a house full of guests. I feel like the author tried to tell us a bit too much about them all. I would have preferred a more focused story on Courtney, James and Monty. Based on the description that’s where I thought the story was going. I liked the picture of the big family, coming together every summer to be together. I enjoyed the closeness they seemed to share. I want to be more like Susanna myself. I didn’t like the flashbacks. The transition between present and past was often not smooth and I frequently found it confusing about which period of time I was supposed to be in.
The Island House was a quick read even if it didn’t really, really grab me. I hate that I feel like I’ve done nothing but bash the book. I finished reading it. That must mean something, right? While I probably won’t go searching for further books by Thayer, I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a story about family, longing and that chance at summer love.
Dottie and Jennifer wish to thank NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for their honest reviews.
Reviewers: Dottie & Jennifer
Title: The Island House
Author: Nancy Thayer
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