Between Husbands And Friends (2001) - Plot & Excerpts
Having married young, Lucy West - wife of Max West, the editor of a small-town Massachusetts newspaper - found herself occasionally troubled by a variety of doubts and questions which flitted through her thoughts. Will marriage fulfill your deepest desires? To whom should you be most loyal, your best friend or your spouse? Is a secret the same as a lie? and Can you marry young and remain faithful all your life? were just some of the unanswerable questions which still went through Lucy's mind from time to time. Lucy loved her family dearly, but she couldn't help feeling that there was so much more to life that she was missing.Every August for the past decade, the West and Cunningham families have spent summers together sharing a summer house on Nantucket. As both couples are best friends, they are delighted to know that their four children are friends as well. When they first met each other in their early twenties, Lucy West and Kate Cunningham were vivacious young women who found their lives as wives and mothers incredibly limited. Both women shared a certain restlessness; a personality trait that they recognized in each other and which led to some pretty wild times together that their husbands knew nothing about. So, Lucy kept Kate's secrets from her husband Chip. And through the years of their friendship, those secrets had steadily accumulated. Lucy even had some secrets of her own to keep.Then one summer a pivotal event forces Lucy to disclose the secrets she's been hiding. And now everyone must sift through the tangled beds of love and lies to discover where desire has ultimately led them. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book; I find Nancy Thayer to be a thoughtful and emotional author, writing poignant stories and creating characters that really resonate with me. I give this book a definite A+! and will absolutely be keeping it on my bookshelf to read some time soon again.
My rating 2.5 stars."Between Husbands and Friends" is cliche women's fiction. Two best girlfriends who share hopes and dreams, secrets, family and of course one has a big secret that could destroy the entire friendship. Nothing in this book surprised me. I will admit to a tear in the middle as one of our 'friends' deals with a tragedy, but other than that....I yawned.Even though the story is told in first person, I had a hard time really liking Lucy (one of the dynamic duo) and liked her friend Kate even less. Both seemed caught in the trappings of their New England life, all the expectations of living in their small town, and not too concerned with the emotional health and well-being of their families. I have a hard time relating to women who think nothing of a one night stand--as if it's just something women need to do in order to be happy. Of course, when their infidelity is revealed (which it must be in a cliche women's fiction) lives fall apart (as they should) and families are destroyed.I did find the book's treatment and explanation of Cystic Fibrosis interesting. I actually know someone who suffers from the disease and was pleased to read more about it. And I also appreciated that actions did have consequences. The poor choices made by both Kate and Lucy didn't pass without some repercussions, even if it was years later.Thayer does have some lovely writing skills. There were a few paragraphs that discussed the idyllic dreams of women when expecting a baby. And although I didn't have those same dreams when I was expecting my own children, I could certainly relate to the sentiment. That type of writing makes me feel a camaraderie with the author and women everywhere.The ending was hopeful, but not overly sweet. I always like that.Overall, just a so-so read. This was my first Nancy Thayer book, and sorry to say, not one that would make me look for another of her titles.
What do You think about Between Husbands And Friends (2001)?
Found this browsing at the library. Very easy reading, but I found myself so caught up in the characters. At one point, I had pulled over to the beach on my way home from work. I grabbed the book and sat glued to the pages while sitting in my car with the windows open. In a chapter, one of the characters was standing on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the water. The author was describing the surroundings and the sounds of the ocean. I got chills because she was describing the exact visual and sounds I had sitting there at the beach. I hated the book to end......wanted to be able to visit the characters for coffee the next day to see what they were up to.Loved it!
—Patti
This was my first Nancy Thayer read. I loved the setting. It was the setting, Nantucket, that piqued my interest because the plot seemed to be a bit too "been there, done that" for me. What can I say, I am a book snob (let's not even wonder if it spills over into my personal life... my blog is a reflection of me in many ways... ;p). LOL!Lucy & Kate BFF... The drama free friend & the one bringing all the drama...You know, the difference between day & night type friend? Yet it just works... similar yet different but it all connects. Yep, that's the relationship between Lucy & Kate.It took me a bit longer to warm up to Lucy, but Kate was a slam dunk! Lucy & Kate were inseparable. They were more than friends -- more like sisters from the heart. They shared secrets, blended their families and every August spent their time on Nantucket.Thayer did an incredible job of weaving together the tapestries of their lives. Thayer's noteworthy narrative vacillates between the couples' present & their linked past is impressive.Between Husbands and Friends is a poignant work of fiction that not only touches but nests inside your heart.LQQking for a gripping read for the beach -- Thayer penned the one to read while slathered in SPF as the waves roll in & out. Between Husbands and Friends is a tale loaded with deceit, secrets, loyalty and the true bond of friendship.
—Diane Morasco
First let me say I am a Nancy Thayer fan. So I went into this book with high expectations. It was a slow start and I thought I was going to have my first disappointment with Thayers books. Keep reading, it just keeps getting better and better.Nancy Thayer's build of the friendship between Lucy and Kate was believable. You could see the two of them grow together, trust each other and share things no one else would be a part of. There is so much that binds these two women and their families, that is hard to separate them.There are several twists and turns throughout the book that if I shared them, it would ruin the story. It is worth reading to see where it goes and how everyone deals with the secrets and lies . You will want to have time set aside to be able to just keep reading...opesopinions.com
—Margie
