Barefoot by Elin Hildebrand

Three women arrive at the local airport, observed by Josh, a Nantucket native home from college for the summer. Burdened with small children, unwieldy straw hats, and some obvious emotional issues, the women-- two sisters and one friend--make their way to the sisters' tiny cottage, inherited from an aunt. They're all trying to escape from something: Melanie, after seven failed in-vitro attempts, learned her husband was having an affair, and then discovered she's pregnant; Brenda embarked on a passionate affair with an older student that got her fired from her prestigious job as a professor in New York; and her sister Vicki, mother to two small boys, has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Soon Josh is part of the chaotic household, acting as babysitter, confidant, and, eventually, lover.

I have now read a number of this authors books and have liked them all.  Yes, they follow the same formula (but most authors do) and yes, the are always set in Nantucket (but each book makes me want to visit there more each time) but somehow she manages to cover some quite heavy subjects (lung cancer!) while maintaining a light hearted read for the beach. She also manages to do this without making the subject matter seem trivial.

Well written stories and the detail, obviously, comes from real experiences of her own life on Nantucket.   It must be really interesting (and a great source of material) for an author to live in a place that relies so heavily on tourists being there for a couple of months each year.  The sights that one must see as a year round resident when the "privileged" come to holiday and make demands of the locals that they think are reasonable.

Okay the books all generally have a happy ending for most of the characters (not a trait I like in my books) but somehow I like this authors books.  Perfect for the beach or by the pool where you want to still use your brain but just not too much.