Moon Shell Beach

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)