About My Novels

HEAT WAVE
Ballantine, 2011

BEACHCOMBERS
Ballantine, 2010

SUMMER HOUSE
Ballantine, 2009

MOON SHELL BEACH
Ballantine, 2008

THE HOT FLASH CLUB CHILLS OUT
Ballantine, 2006

HOT FLASH HOLIDAYS
Ballantine, 2005

THE HOT FLASH CLUB STRIKES AGAIN
Ballantine, 2005

THE HOT FLASH CLUB,
Ballantine, 2003

CUSTODY
St. Martin’s Press, 2001

BETWEEN HUSBANDS AND FRIENDS
St. Martin’s Press, 1999

AN ACT OF LOVE
St. Martin’s Press, 1997

BELONGING
St. Martin’s Press, 1995

FAMILY SECRETS,
Viking, 1993

EVERLASTING,
Viking, 1991

MY DEAREST FRIEND,
Charles Scribners’ Sons, 1898

SPIRIT LOST
Charles Scribners’ Sons, 1988

MORNING
Charles Scribners’ Sons, 1987

NELL
William Morrow, 1984

BODIES AND SOULS
Doubleday, 1983

THREE WOMEN AT THE WATERS’ EDGE
Doubleday, 1981

STEPPING
Doubleday, 1980

See also The Hot Flash Club

RECENT WORK:

Heat Wave

Carley Winsted is 32 with two children when her husband dies of a heart attack, leaving their finances in ruins. She decides to start a Bed &  Breakfast, but her in-laws hate the idea. At the same time, her best friend Maud forces Carley to keep a secret that could ruin families and friendships. Then a hot summer and a handsome man heat up Carley’s world. . .but is that a good thing?

READ MORE ABOUT HEAT WAVE!

Beachcombers

Abbie Fox hasn’t seen her father or two younger sisters in almost two years. But now Lily, the baby of the family, is sending Abbie urgent emails begging her to return home. Their middle sister, Emma, has taken to her bed, devastated after losing her high-powered job and breaking up with her fiancé. Also, Lily is worried that the beautiful, enigmatic woman renting their guesthouse has set her sights on their widowed father. The Fox sisters closed ranks years ago after the haunting, untimely death of their mother, but seeing their dad move on with his life forces each of them to take stock.

Over the course of the summer, the sisters’ lives grow as turbulent as the unpredictable currents off the New England coast: Abbie breaks her own rules in the name of love, type-A Emma learns a new definition of success, and strong-minded Lily must reconcile her dreams with reality. At summer’s end, these unforgettable women will face profound choices—and undergo personal transformations that will surprise even themselves.

Random House Reader’s Circle, 2011
Available at your online or local bookstore

Now available as a trade paperback and eBook

Read an excerpt!

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A Nurturing Novel

” Nantucket novelist Nancy Thayer offers an enchanting read with her latest novel, Beachcombers. . .Thayer’s emotionally charged writing brings readers to the characters’ world on the island, sprinkling romance, humor, and depth onto each page.”

Linda Heartlein, Cape Cod Life

Recommended as a “Great New Read” in the August 2010 Woman’s Day and as “Brain Candy” in the July Arizona Daily Star!

Summer House

Thirty-year-old Charlotte Wheelwright seems to have at last found her niche, running an organic gardening business on the island of Nantucket, thanks in large part to her spry grandmother Nona, who donated a portion of land on the family’s seaside compound to get Charlotte started. Though Charlotte’s skill with plants is bringing her success, cultivating something deeper with people—particularly her handsome neighbor Coop—might be more of a challenge.

Now the entire Wheelwright clan is making its annual summer pilgrimage to the homestead, including Charlotte’s mother, Helen, who brings a heavy heart as she confronts a betrayal that threatens her sense of place and her sense of self. Bringing together three generations of strong-willed women, each wrestling with life-changing decisions, Nancy Thayer’s luminous novel shows that no matter where life’s path may lead, love always finds a way back home.

Ballantine, 2009
Available at your online or local bookstore

Moon Shell Beach

Lexi Laney and Clare Hart grew up together having wondrous adventures across picturesque Nantucket. And when it was time to share intimate secrets and let their imaginations run free, they escaped to their private hideaway: Moon Shell Beach. But nothing stays the same. With the complicated pressures of adulthood, their intense bond is frayed, hurtful words are exchanged, and Lexi flees Nantucket to a life of luxury while Clare stays behind.

Ten years later, a newly divorced Lexi returns to make amends with those she left in her wake–particularly Clare, who still simmers with resentment toward her friend. Their emotional reunion is beset with major challenges, as Lexi’s return sets off a series of startling events. And as Clare’s life takes an abrupt detour, Lexi wonders if the happiness and peace they once knew on Moon Shell Beach will, in the end, prove to be as fleeting as time and the tide.

Ballantine, 2008
Available at your online or local bookstore