Moon Shell Beach

April 7, 2008
Childhood friends Clare Hart and Lexi Laney work toward reconciliation in this bland novel by The Hot Flash Club
author. Lexi wants to leave stifling Nantucket, so when wealthy Ed Hardin proposes marriage, Lexi seizes the chance to live a life of off-island luxury. But after 10 years in a lonely and adulterous marriage, Lexi divorces Ed and lands back on the island seeking to repair the relationships she left behind. As Lexi and Clare take steps toward salvaging their friendship, their relationships with men—particularly Lexi's feelings for Clare's fiancé—test their loyalty. Unfortunately, Thayer's characters are as thin as a worn beach towel, and the phoned-in prose does little to make up for the contrived plot twists that dominate the final act.

June 15, 2008
Two best friends reconcile 11 years after high school, wondering if they can trust each other again. Clare and Lexi made bad man choices back in the day, and now that their biological clocks are ticking, well, anything can happen in Nantucket in the summer. Thayer ("Hot Flash Club" series) easily switches to younger characters in this quick and romantic getaway read.

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2008
Lexi and Clare, townies on the island resort town of Nantucket, have been best friends since childhood. When the girls hit college, though, things start to change. Lexi, eager to leave the small town, elopes with a wealthy developer, angering the community. Clare struggles to maintain her relationship with the town lothario. Years later, the divorced Lexi returns, and the friends once again try to find their way together. The title, Moon Shell Beach, tells you all you need to know: that this is a thoroughly enjoyable if slight novel perfect for reading in Nantucket or on any other beach. The characters and events are interesting, if not completely fleshed out. The focus on womens friendship as opposed to romance makes for an enjoyable change of pace.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)