Female friendships can be complicated. The older you get, the more life, and the decisions you make, can get in the way. Add to that growing up on the island of Nantucket. While beautiful, the oasis is also a small beach town where everyone knows everyone and everything.
Keely and Isabelle were inseparable as children. As aspiring authors, they couldn’t be bothered with sports or boys. They loved reading, discussing words and planning their futures as successful writers together. From the outside looking in, you would never guess their socio-economic differences – Isabelle came from an extremely wealthy family, while Keely came from a working class, blue-collar family. Their shared hopes dreams bridged any gap that may have come between them. Fast-forward to adulthood where Keely has realized her dream of becoming a successful author, causing some friction and resentment between the duo.
Keely visits Nantucket after living in New York City for some time and struggles with how to patch things up with Isabelle. She is re-energized by the island as the memories of her childhood and best friend come flooding back – she really loves both Isabelle and her hometown.
There were so many layers to this novel it is difficult to write a short and sweet review! It had romance, frustration, love, family, friendship, dreams and disappointments. It was a perfect beach read for my Fourth of July weekend, and I genuinely enjoyed stepping into Keely’s world. Sometimes I wanted to shake her (maybe even smack her), but her love for her friends and family ultimately outweighed my frustrations.
Highly recommend this to anyone looking for a good beach read!
Verdict: Read it! Now! (4.5/5 stars)
Length: 304 pages
When: You’re in the mood for a story about the complications of female friendship.
Quote: “Two different kinds of people exist: Those who wade cautiously into the shallows and those who throw themselves headlong into the roaring surf.”
Also Read: One Night at the Lake by Bethany Chase (B2C review)
Buy Surfside Sisters by Nancy Thayer