Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Reviews of Between Husbands and Friends

Between Husbands and Friends
Between Husbands and Friends
Author: Nancy Thayer
ISBN-13: 9780312974220
ISBN-10: 0312974221
Publication Date: 1/15/2001
Pages: 305
Rating:
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 29

3.8 stars, based on 29 ratings
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

15 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

reviewed Between Husbands and Friends on + 40 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Can you marry young and remain faithful all your life? Will marriage fulfill your deepest desires? Is a secret the same as a lie? To whom should you be most loyal, your best friend or your spouse?
These are some of the questions troubling Lucy West, the wife of Max West, editor of a small-tow Massachusetts newspaper. The Wests' best friends are the glamorous Cunninghams; their four children are friends too. Every August for ten years the two families have shared a summer house on Nantucket.
When they met in their twenties, Lucy and Kate Cunningham, vivacious young women who found their lives limited as wives and mothers, shared a certain restlessness that led to some wild times that their husbands knew nothing about. Lucy kept Kate's secrets from Chip, Kate's husband. Through the years, the secrets accumulated. And Lucy had some secrets of her own. Then one summer a pivotal event forces Lucy to expose what she's been hiding. And now they all must sift through the tangle of lies and love to discover where desire has led.

I have this book on my "favorites" list. The realness of the characters allows you to connect to them and the drama that they are experiencing. An excellent read that I would highly recommend.
reviewed Between Husbands and Friends on
Helpful Score: 1
A story that could have been no more intriguing or compelling than a run-of-the-mill Lifetime tear-jerker was elevated by the skillful storytelling of Nancy Thayer. Her characters were well-developed & her clever technique of alternating between two time periods in the characters' lives drove the story to a tense but satisfying climax.
emeraldfire avatar reviewed Between Husbands and Friends on
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.
bigshirl55 avatar reviewed Between Husbands and Friends on + 197 more book reviews
It was a little slow starting but once I got into it I enjoyed it a lot.
reviewed Between Husbands and Friends on + 110 more book reviews
I loved this book !...........a gripping novel of friendship,family, loyalty and deceit.
reviewed Between Husbands and Friends on + 144 more book reviews
From the cover: A poignant and gripping novel about friendship, family, loyalty and deceit. It will hold you spellbound.
reviewed Between Husbands and Friends on
"Summers in Nantucket and winters in western Massachusetts are the perfect setting(s) for this novel of best friends who share more than the frivolities of life."
_Dallas Morning News
Kittymama avatar reviewed Between Husbands and Friends on + 107 more book reviews
EXCELLENT BOOK! Quick read - couldn't put it down :)
reviewed Between Husbands and Friends on + 46 more book reviews
A story of betrayal, love lost and love found and the ability to move on.
Beck-a-book avatar reviewed Between Husbands and Friends on + 7 more book reviews
I enjoyed this book! It was a fast read. The story covered the strength of friendship and the struggles in marriage. The story line was not a new theme, but the author did a good job of portraying the characters faults and all. It covered a broad range of emotion, disappointment, love, betrayal, even got a bit steamy at times.
reviewed Between Husbands and Friends on
Really good read contemporary and interesting character portrayals. Somewhat predictable plot but still held interest
reviewed Between Husbands and Friends on + 6 more book reviews
Great book! I read it through in a couple of days. Couldn't put it down...will look for more from this author.
reviewed Between Husbands and Friends on + 27 more book reviews
I really liked this book. It was "meatier" than most of the beach books I've read this summer. The characters came to life & I cared about them. It was a little daunting to have each chapter focusing on a different time period, but I was eventually able to follow it without frustration.
pj avatar reviewed Between Husbands and Friends on + 208 more book reviews
Lucy met Kate when they were both young wives and mothers. In the years since, the two women and their husbands and children have become inseparable, spending every August together in a house on Nantucket. Lucy and Kate, each other's most trusted confidantes, have shared their secrets, from the mundane to the shocking--but there's one explosive secret that Lucy has kept to herself.

As August once again approaches, Lucy must confront the truth she has kept hidden all these years. Now, in the midst of an unexpected family crisis, she must make a decision that could shatter all of their lives.
reviewed Between Husbands and Friends on + 64 more book reviews
Lucy met Kate when they were both young wives and mothers. In the years since, the two women and their husbands and children have become inseparable, spending every August together in a house on Nantucket. Lucy and Kate, each other's most trusted confidantes, have shared their secrets, from the mundane to the shocking-but there's one explosive secret that Lucy has kept to herself.
As August once again approaches, Lucy must confront the truth she has kept hidden all these years. Now, in the midst of an unexpected family crisis, she must make a decision that could shatter all of their lives.