Best friends Lexi Laney and Clare Hart shared idyllic girlish adventures all over Nantucket Island, spending much of their time at their secret hideaway, Moon Shell Beach, a magical place where they remade the world. But when Lexi eloped to a life of luxery at age nineteen, she left behind a broken friendship with Clare and resentment from nearly everyone else. Now Lexi has returned to Nantucket after eleven years and a bitter divorce. Clare, a chocolatier living at home with her widowed father and dating a gorgeous carpenter, finds forgiving and forgetting more difficult than she ever imagined. In the less innocent world of adult men and women, awash in failed loves and romantic disappointment, the estranged soul mates struggle to recapture the feelings of bliss that came so easily to them as children.
As an emotional tempest sweeps the vibrant, tight-knit island community, Nancy Thayer's irresistible and deeply moving novel deftly explores the evolution of a lifelong friendship, the power of forgiveness, and the rewards of believing in miracles.
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"This was a really great book about friendship and living in a small town. Old friendships being broken, but then rekindled after time...I first read the excerpts from this book in the Summer Reading Section of Redbook magazine a few years ago, and then had to buy the book! "
— Kiwi (5 out of 5 stars)
“Nancy Thayer has a deep and masterly understanding of love and friendship, of where the two complement and where they collide. Read Moon Shell Beach and get swept away.”
— Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author“A beautifully textured story about love, friendship, and forgiveness, a great beach read. It will make you want to pack your bags for Nantucket.”
— Kristin Hannah, New York Times bestselling author“Moon Shell Beach reminds readers of what they held dear as children, and if that changed as adults. It also brings back memories of friendships and family ties and how our choices affect both.”
— Durham (NC) Herald-Sun" Fabulous...quick and lovely written. I cried...and that doesn't always happen! "
— Cole, 2/18/2014" Read this book quick. Great reads! "
— Michelle, 2/12/2014" It's a story of two women who became friends when they were little girls, they lost touch for years and then ended up business owners side by side. I liked the subplot, too, about the little girl who waited for her daddy to come back from a sea wreck. "
— Robin, 2/6/2014" One of my favorite authors Nancy Thayer writes a wonderful story of love, tradegy, and perseverance. Loved this book. "
— Sylvia, 1/29/2014" light easy "beach" read. not bad. "
— Anna, 1/27/2014" It was an enjoyable story about characters who could be your friends but what happened was pretty predictable. Still I enjoyed it. What I do enjoy is that Nancy Thayer's books now do not all have rich people who can afford just about anything and then fall in love with someone and everything is just hunky dorey. "
— Ruth, 1/22/2014" I really wanted to like this book, because it's a book about old friends and I'm a sucker for books about friendships between women. But, it was slow and predictable, the writing style was a little simple, and I just didn't feel connected with the characters. "
— Marcie, 1/13/2014" Lovely descriptions of Nantucket; I'm ready to pack up my car and move. "
— Vikki, 1/13/2014" This book was okay. Parts of it were good, but I wasn't crazy about the ending. I think I need to take a break from this type of book. "
— Erin, 1/12/2014" A summer beach read "
— Linnja, 12/17/2013" This was different. I seem to have read a lot of contemporary female fiction in the last couple of years. I am enjoying it more and more even though I am at the wrong end of 50. I don't think there was enough fiction like this around when I was younger. I enjoyed this. "
— Daphne, 12/1/2013" yea!!!!! Found another elin hilderbrand style author!!! Yea!! Makes me wanna Nantucket! "
— Mich, 11/25/2013" Another great and quick summer read. "
— Sherri, 11/23/2013" A good book about female friendships "
— Kathy, 11/2/2013" Great, quick beach read. Shallow character development and some reactions from characters are subdued, but nice story line. "
— Maria, 5/9/2013" It was easy reading. I liked the ending and how the author portrays the power of true frienship. "
— Lily221958, 3/28/2013" This one reminded me of Elin Hilderbrand, but the only thing I am skeptical about is the happy ending! "
— Tanya, 1/9/2013" Everyone needs a special place to think and dream. "
— Jill, 11/17/2012" This is a good read that doesn't take much effort or concentration. Good read for lazy summer days or laying on the beach. "
— Carrie, 10/2/2012" I didn't care for the ending at all! It just kind of ended! "
— Jen, 7/28/2012" Loved this book. I don't recall ready any of the other titles by this author but I will certainly make a point to do so. Really enjoyed the characters and story lines. I'm such a sucker for a happy ending. "
— Rita, 2/23/2012" love the nantucket summer reads!! "
— Sfritch, 11/15/2011" This was a really great book about friendship and living in a small town. Old friendships being broken, but then rekindled after time...I first read the excerpts from this book in the Summer Reading Section of Redbook magazine a few years ago, and then had to buy the book! "
— Kiwi, 9/5/2011" This was like reading a bland daytime soap opera. Boo. "
— Christie, 5/31/2011" I didn't care for the ending at all! It just kind of ended! "
— Jen, 5/10/2011" A story about childhood friends who grow up to become the best of friends. "
— Lschneier, 4/5/2011" A beautiful story about love,friendship & forgiveness <br/>a great read I was sorry to come to the last page <br/>I certainly will be reading more of Nancy Thayer's novels <br/>in the future "
— Lyn, 3/1/2011" I really like this book, but I was a tiny bit disappointed by how abruptly it ended. I would've liked to have one last chapter explaining everyone's lives after the point when it stopped. "
— Katie, 2/23/2011" I really liked this one! A little bit of friendship, love, and life all in one :) "
— Alison, 1/3/2011" I really enjoyed this story about two friends who stayed friends through good times and bad times. "
— Wendy, 11/29/2010" It was a nice light read about friends. How you can be torn apart and be brought back together. "
— Kimberly, 10/6/2010" It was easy reading. I liked the ending and how the author portrays the power of true frienship. "
— Lily221958, 9/18/2010" not my fave from nancy thayer- summer house was better, but this is still a nice easy beach read "
— Kathy, 8/27/2010" i really liked this book. it was about two childhood friends and their experiences over their lifetimes and how their friendship remained strong "
— Lisa, 8/13/2010" Light, a good beach book. Nothing I would suggest for my book group, but I found it distracting, easy, good to read on a weekend. And I didn't put it down. Sometimes, this kind of light reading is exactly what I need <br/> "
— Jane, 8/10/2010Nancy Thayer is the bestselling author of The Hot Flash Club, The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again, Hot Flash Holidays, The Hot Flash Club Chills Out, and Between Husbands and Friends. She lives on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts.
Renée Raudman is an actor and Earphones Award–winning audiobook narrator. She has performed on film, television, radio, and on stage and can also be heard in several video games and hundreds of television and radio voice-overs.