Island House, The

I've made it to page 80 and that has been a chore! I came on to read other reviews to see if anyone else was struggling with this book and saw a lot of my thoughts in the lower starred reviews. There are a lot of characters in the book - not a problem, the writing goes back and forth from present to past - not a problem - however, the problem is none of the characters are interesting and unfortunately neither is the present and past!!! The writing seems to jump around, is repetitive and just overall bad. I haven't read a page yet that makes me want to read on and see what happens with these characters. I think I will cut my losses on this one and move on to another book. Probably my last Thayer book.

Every now and then it's enjoyable to read a light, predictable book that is easy to forget once finished. However, an easy read does not mean the writing has to be bad or that there have to be major inconsistencies in storyline. I couldn't get past some major flaws in this book. Main characters contradicted themselves in their thoughts and actions; a romance with a lot of buildup had an extremely anti-climactic meeting; and another character who was professing his love and proposing to someone recovered quickly after being denied and met someone new within a matter of moments. Some of the situations that played out did not feel realistic at all which I felt ruined this book.I also didn't enjoy how much the story jumped around in the beginning between past and present. This doesn't normally bother me when the storylines are interesting enough to pull a reader in, but this wasn't the case here.I was really looking forward to this book because it sounded so much like an Elin Hildebrand novel, where the sweet island setting pulls you in and the characters seem real and believable, but this book did not deliver.

Courtney Hendricks will never forget the magical summers she spent on Nantucket with her college roommate, Robin Vickerey, and Robin’s charismatic, turbulent, larger-than-life family, in their gorgeous island house. Now a college English professor in Kansas City, Courtney is determined to experience one more summer in this sun-swept paradise. Her reason for going is personal: Courtney needs to know whether Robin’s brother James shares the feelings she’s secretly had for him. Time with the Vickerey family always involves love and laughter, and this season is no different. Vivacious matriarch Susanna Vickerey is celebrating her sixtieth birthday, but beneath the merriment, trouble is brewing. The family patriarch, Dr. Alastair Vickerey, is quiet and detached, while unspoken tension looms over oldest son Henry, a respected young surgeon. Warm and witty Robin, the most grounded of the siblings, is keeping a secret from her parents. Iris, the colorful baby of the brood, remains rudderless and in need of guidance. And the sexy, stunningly handsome, untouchable James—to Courtney’s dismay—may be in love with a beautiful and vibrant local artist. As the summer unfolds, a crisis escalates, surprising truths are revealed, and Courtney will at last find out where her heart and her future lie.My Thoughts: I savored The Island House, a story of family, secrets, and chaotic upheavals in a gorgeous setting.I liked Courtney right away, and I was also intrigued by her best friend Robin. Some of the other characters were less delightful, like Christabel, who was not a family member, but an island resident who always seemed to be around, making sarcastic remarks and stirring up trouble, while trying to be the center of attention.James was the perfect hunk who distanced himself a bit…probably due to family issues involving the older brother Henry.What will Courtney realize about herself as this final summer brings out revelations that show us more about what choices she should make?The story flips back and forth in time, offering the reader a view of the events that defined the characters. The shifts in the time line were easy to follow, as they were presented in bold and smaller print.A slow read that brought this colorful family full of interesting characters to life, the story captured me, making me feel a part of their lives and experiences; it kept me reading, even at times when I wanted the pace to speed up and take me to the final denouement. A satisfying tale that earned 4 stars.

I usually like/almost love Nancy Thayer books, but honestly this book is "tripe" on so many levels. Did not like any of the characters because they all seemed shallow, disconnected from each other/the real world, everyone was in love with someone that loved the. The patriarch of the clan, somewhat "lovingly" called Dr. V was at best unlovable and at worst a deadbeat dad.....oh don't get me wrong he provided all that money could buy his family (they lived year round on Nantucket for goodness sake), but was emotionally unavailable to his spouse and his children. Susanna the matriarch of the family was just so over the top motherly, wifely, friendly that you hated her. Don't even want to get into the issue brought up early on with bi-polar disorder and how it was a black cloud over the entire family, while it was pointed out that it is hereditary, only one member of the family exhibited the devastating behavior associated with the disorder, while other other members of the family worried about passing on the gene to the next generation. That worry seemed out of place as none of the children were heading towards marriage or even meaningful relationships. Older man/younger woman relationship.....BIG SECRET.....really!!! Maybe rowing out to talk to whales alone in the middle of the night is a little out there for me, but maybe not for Nantukians. I'm told the rich are different and the really wealthy are eccentric so what do I know :0)!!!! My thinking may be a little archaic, but I think all of the children whether biological or "summer" needed a good swift kick on that part of the anatomy where you sit......OMG...the book became so plodding and cloying that I skipped right to the last a6 or 7 pages and then was really peed off at the ending....go figure how the author and editors rushed to that STUPID and I can't stress this enough STUPID ending.