Review: The Rainy Day Bookshop by RaeAnne Thayne

 

The Rainy Day Bookshop by RaeAnne Thayne

Publication Date: June 2nd 2026 by St. Martin's Press MIRA & Harlequin Audio

Pages: 384

Audio Book Length: 10hrs 46min

Narrator: Carly Robins

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Emma was learning to drive in bad weather and crashed the car killing her father. Rosie, her mother, never blamed Emma for the accident, but Emma left soon after and spiraled. Only when she became pregnant did she clean up and get her life back on track.

 

Now, Emma is back home with her three-year-old daughter, Olive, to help her mother run The Rainy Day Bookshop while her grandmother is laid out with a broken ankle. Rosie is thrilled to have her daughter back home after years apart.

 

Emma never told her mother what caused the tragic accident that killed her father, and she doesn’t intend to, because she doesn’t want to shatter her mother’s memories. Now she’s happy to be back at home, close to her family with Olive. She’s had some hard years raising her young daughter on her own while working and earning a degree and so she appreciates the opportunity to have some support and get close again with her family.

 

I loved The Rainy Day Bookshop and felt deeply for both Emma and Rosie as they navigated their shared grief and guilt. Watching the two of them slowly rebuild their relationship was moving. Olive was adorable, and seeing her bond with her grandmother was touching. There were romances as well: Andrew, the reclusive writer for Rosie, and Bryce, the construction foreman for Emma. Both were sweet, low‑drama, and genuinely lovely!

 

I alternated between the e-copy and audio version and can recommend both. Carly Robins has a pleasing voice and added warmth and emotion to each character. I thoroughly enjoyed her performance! 

4 Stars

Book Description:

Sandwiched between caring for her mother and rebuilding the relationship with her estranged daughter, Emma, Rosie Lucas’s life is full. In the best way. With Emma and her 3-year old daughter, Olive, back home, Rosie has a partner for The Rainy Day Bookshop, the family business, and a chance to fix the past. What she doesn’t have time for is a romantic relationship. And even if she did, Andrew Morgan is the last person she’d choose. Not only is he an arrogant and reclusive writer, but he’s a single dad with two young kids. She’s already been there, done that. Still as an irresistible flirtation builds between them, he becomes her unexpected confidante on the distance Rosie can’t seem to overcome with Emma, a secret she can’t quite unravel…

Emma isn’t proud of her past. But she’s pulled herself up by the bootstraps, caring for her own daughter, and protecting her mom at all costs. Just as she always has. She never told Rosie what she saw all those years ago and she never will. But some secrets refuse to stay buried, and sometimes the truth is more shocking than fiction. Rosie and Emma will have to navigate an unimaginable path forward. Together.

Review: Snow Kissed by RaeAnne Thayne

 

Snow Kissed by RaeAnne Thayne

Publication Date: October 7th 2025 by Canary Street Press & Harlequin Audio

Pages: 352

Audio Book Length: 8hrs 

Narrator: Vanessa Johansson

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Snow Kissed was a sweet, feel-good story! Part women’s fiction, part romance with characters facing real life challenges. I loved how positive Holly was and how she chose to try and look for the best in both people and a situation. She could’ve been bitter and vindictive towards her ex but chose the high road. That’s not to say that she didn’t have moments where she wanted to be, though.

 

You'll want to mark this one for holiday season! Snow Kissed had Hallmark holiday romance vibes with a picturesque winter wonderland! All the magic of the season came through with the smell of pine, hot chocolate, twinkle lights, family and friends. Themes of grief and forgiveness and focusing on what’s important. A pure delight!

 

I alternately read and listened to an audio copy and can recommend either version. Vanessa Johansson has a pleasing voice, and I thought she did well with both male and female characters, young and old bringing them to life with appropriate emotions. She seamlessly switched between characters, making it easy to distinguish between them.

4 Stars

Book Description:

'Tis the season for a little white lie…

Christmas has always been single mom Holly Goodwin Moore’s favorite time of year. The twinkly lights on the tree, the cookies in the oven, the snow on the ground. But she’s just not feeling it this year. The wedding in her ex’s family is almost here, her daughter, Lydia, is bursting at the seams to be a flower girl…and Holly couldn’t be dreading it more. She told a little white lie about having a new boyfriend as her plus-one, hoping to save face. She needs a date for the wedding…and she needs it now.

Ryan Caldwell wants to be free this holiday season. So even he isn’t sure how he landed in Shelter Springs, looking after his niece, Audrey, with his estranged father down the road. But when he meets Holly, she makes him want to belong for the very first time. So they make a he’ll be her date if she’ll help him give Audrey a true Christmas to remember while her mom is away. 

Review: The Lost Book of First Loves by RaeAnne Thayne

 

The Lost Book of First Loves by RaeAnne Thayne

Publication Date: June 3rd 2025 by Canary Street Press & Harlequin Audio

Pages: 352

Audio Book Length: 10hrs 7mins

Narrator: Vanessa Johansson

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

The Lost Book of First Loves was a moving, feel-good story of friendship and found family with a bit of romance mixed in!

 

Still reeling from the death of her beloved father, Carson Wells, a famous literary author, Alison is informed from a DNA search that she has a sister, Juniper Connolly. Why didn’t her father tell her?

 

In order to get to know her sister and tell her their connection, Alison takes an internship at Juniper’s company, but before Alison shares her bombshell, Juniper collapses. Alison suggests she recuperate at her ranch, The Painted Sky in Bridger, Wyoming.

 

Juniper’s reeling from the shock of what happened and isn’t sure why Alison would make such an offer.  However, the sound of recovering at the ranch of the late Carson Wells, a favorite author, is too good to pass up. She strikes up a reluctant friendship with another rancher, Beckett Hunter.

 

Alison needs to figure out how to tell Juniper and study for the bar exam, when she’s not sure she wants to be a lawyer. And then there’s Xander Scott, her best friend who’s back in town. Alison’s feelings for him are complex.

 

Both Alison and Juniper were at a crossroads in their life. I was invested in their journey, as they sorted out the mystery of the past and what they wanted for the future. I soaked in the gorgeous mountain setting, which was almost a character in itself!

 

I alternately read and listened to The Lost Book of First Loves and recommend either version. I’ve listened to and enjoyed Vanessa Johansson’s narration in the past and she did a wonderful job bringing all the characters to life!

4 Stars

Book Description:

From New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne comes a brand-new story about two women, a family secret and a lost manuscript that changes everything…

Raised by her literary icon father Carson Wells, Allison Wells always felt loved, even though her mother died when she was a teen. But when she takes a DNA test on a whim and discovers she has a sister that she’s never heard about before, it’s clear there are things her father never told her before he died. Determined to meet Juniper—her half sister—and unravel the truth of what happened all those years ago, Ali finds herself taking a job as Juniper’s intern. She’ll eventually figure out a way to tell Juniper the truth of their relationship. But she never could have imagined what would happen next…

Juniper Connolly has always been incredibly healthy…until she wakes up in the hospital after experiencing cardiac arrest, with her new—and recently fired—intern to thank for saving her life. It’s clear June needs to de-stress her life a little, so when Ali offers her the use of her family’s cabin in a small Wyoming town, June has no reason not to go. But when she arrives in the small town, her life will never be the same.

Under the wide-open spaces of the Wyoming summer sun, Ali and June will untangle the secrets and lies their lives were built on to discover who they really are and what family really means. But even more than that, they'll build a real relationship with one another and finally become sisters. 

Review: 15 Summers Later by RaeAnne Thayne

 

15 Summers Later by RaeAnne Thayne

Publication Date: June 18th 2024 by Canary Street Press

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Ava and Madison survived and escaped a cult/prepper group when they were teenagers. Both have moved on, but Ava’s book detailing the experience brings unwelcome attention and Madison is furious. Why would Ava write this book? Ava’s not comfortable with sharing the past either, so I wasn’t sure why she wrote the book, but all is revealed as the story goes on.

 

Madison sustained lasting physical damage but has worked hard to overcome her trauma. I loved that her main focus in life was helping animals by running a rescue shelter.  Ava’s book has become a national best seller, but she’s put her book tour off because her marriage is in trouble. She needs time back home to lick her wounds and figure out what to do next.

 

The sisters really had a traumatic experience, and it was lucky they had each other to help them get through it and survive the escape! My heart went out to them, and I was enraged over how they came to be in the situation in the first place!

 

15 Summers Later was part romance, with Madison finding love and Ava sorting out her marriage-in-crisis, and part women’s fiction with the sisters reconciling the past and mending their relationship. I adored every minute!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

15 summers ago, everything changed…

Ava Howell seemed to have it all. She moved away from Emerald Creek, Idaho, married the love of her life and published a bestselling memoir. But she never expected that her husband would feel so betrayed by a secret from her past—the truth of what happened to her and her sister all those years ago—that he’d walk away. Now Ava is back home and trying to move on with the only person who can truly understand…

Following years of healing, Madison Howell is finally happy. After college she built a no-kill shelter where she works with animals every day, and she’s in love with the town veterinarian, Dr. Luke Gentry. But she can’t ever bring herself to tell him. Years ago, his dad died protecting Madi and her sister, so how could he ever love her back?

With the truth laid bare, and the past that Ava and Madison have worked so hard to leave behind threatening everything they have built for themselves, the Howell sisters’ reunion is bittersweet. And as Ava and Madi attempt to remedy the rifts in their lives and reconcile their futures, they must face the demons of their past together.

Review: Christmas at the Shelter Inn by RaeAnne Thayne

 

Christmas at the Shelter Inn by RaeAnne Thayne

Publication Date: October 3rd 2023 by Canary Street Press

Pages: 304

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Natalie has come back to her hometown of Shelter Springs, Idaho after her sister, McKenna, sent out an SOS when she's ordered on bedrest having a high-risk pregnancy. McKenna needs help with her two young daughters and the Shelter Springs Inn, the Inn her parents ran. Natalie has stayed away from Shelter Springs most of her adult life since it holds memories of grief and abandonment. Her mother died when she was just sixteen and her father took off soon after, just when she needed him most leaving her in the care of an aunt.

As soon as Natalie graduated, she took on jobs all over the world as a house sitter, feeding a drive to travel after growing up at the Shelter Springs Inn, watching others enjoy their vacations staying at the inn and while their family couldn't leave. Yet now coming back she realizes all she’s been missing. Family, friends, a sense of community.  Also, there’s Griffin Taylor, her best friend’s older, handsome brother who seems to be there every time she needs a helping hand. Her feelings for him grow the more time they spend together.

I related so much to Natalie, especially regarding her relationship with her father. Yes, he was grieving, but he really hurt Natalie with his abandonment. Still, I couldn’t help but feel for him, too, because he lost his wife. I loved how Natalie couldn't help but become attached to all these wonderful people, her sister and nieces and of course, Griffin! 

Christmas at the Shelter Inn was more than a romance, it was a story about healing, forgiveness, family, and community. I adored this uplifting story!

4 Stars

Book Description:

Come home to Shelter Springs this Christmas, where hearts are warm and hopes are bright…

Growing up at the Shelter Inn hotel, Natalie Shepherd envied guests who could come and go as they pleased. So when it was time to finally leave for college and put the lush green mountains around Shelter Springs—along with the cloud of loss that seemed to follow her family—behind her, she swore she’d never come back. But now her sister McKenna needs a favor. On pregnancy bed rest at doctor’s orders, McKenna needs a helping hand with her two young daughters and someone to take over the inn during the hectic holiday season, and Nat can’t refuse. And just when things can’t get worse, she runs into her late brother’s best friend, Griffin Taylor…

Griff has mixed feelings about Natalie’s return. She’s just as beautiful and full of life as he remembered, but there’s a secret he’s carried for years about her brother—and the guilt is eating away at him. Still, Christmas in this small town is filled with treasured traditions and new adventures that hold the promise of something sweet and lasting. From matchmaking seniors to rambunctious nieces, it seems everyone is hoping Nat and Griff will put loss behind them and find a happy new beginning…

Review: The Cafe at Beach End by RaeAnne Thayne

 

The Cafe at Beach End (Cape Sanctuary #5) by RaeAnne Thayne

Publication Date: June 13th 2023 by Canary Street Press

Pages: 336

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Meredith and Tori, once as close as sisters, are estranged since Meredith left for what seemed to Tori a life of privilege. Meredith has lost everything and became embroiled in the scandal where her now dead husband bilked millions from unsuspecting investors. Now she’s back home. Meredith owns 49% of the small beach café now run by Tori as well as one of the beachside cottages her grandmother owned. Tori is not happy about this, but things are not as they seem.

I loved Meredith! She’s sad and feels partially responsible for the pain and financial ruin her husband caused, but I loved that after leading a privileged life she had no qualms about rolling her sleeves up, digging in and working hard. She didn’t make excuses, but she had plenty! It broke my heart.

I felt for Tori, as she felt abandoned. She was hurt, especially since Meredith didn’t even attend their grandmother’s funeral, but she didn’t have the full story. I felt she was pretty tough on Meredith, but this was a journey of forgiveness, healing, moving on from your mistakes, and embracing those important to you.

There’s a romance for both Meredith and Tori and I rooted for each of them! Liam disguised his identity and motives from Meredith, and I wasn’t too happy with him at first, but I understood as all was revealed. Tori has feelings of attraction for Sam, the brother of her dead husband, and the guilt she feels about that as well as the worry over what others think is a bit of a hinderance. They each have a teenage daughter, cousins, who get up to some teenage drama. Thankfully, they had each other for support.

As usual in this series, Ms. Thayne brings the Northern California coastal setting to life with her beautiful descriptions! It’s such a gorgeous area, sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean that take your breath away! There’s a spot I visit at least yearly, close to the Oregon border that I pictured in my mind as I read.

 

The Café at Beach End brought out all the feels for me! I loved this emotional story so much!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

When Meredith Collins was a child, the little beach town of Cape Sanctuary lived up to its name. Spending summers there with her grandmother, Meredith finally felt safe and loved.

Now she’s returning in disgrace. Her late ex-husband swindled investors out of millions of dollars and made Meredith a figure of scorn—though she knew nothing about his scheme. But she still has the beach cottage she inherited from her grandmother and half ownership of the local café. It’s a place to work and earn a little money. That’s if her cousin, Tori, will let her through the door. Once, Tori and Meredith were as close as sisters—until Meredith chose her neglectful parents’ expectations over their bond. Now widowed with a teenage daughter, Tori isn’t setting out a welcome mat for the woman who let her down so badly.

While Meredith tries to make a fresh start, she is drawn to a mysterious writer renting the cottage next door. Liam Byrne’s kindness is a balm, though she worries he might not be so friendly if he knew who she was. But Liam has his own secret and a mission that will help Meredith confront her past—and maybe, claim a surprising future…

Review: All is Bright by RaeAnne Thayne

 

All is Bright by RaeAnne Thayne

Publication Date: September 20th 2022 by HQN

Pages: 320

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Sage McKnight is an architect specializing in “universal” or “inclusive” design for those with different mobility needs. Sage used those talents to redesign Wolf Ridge, a big mountain lodge, for Mason Tucker, an ex-pro baseball player still recovering from an accident that left him hardly able to walk.  Now Sage is back in Hope’s Crossing for the holidays to visit with her family, oversee the finishing touches on Wolf Ridge and hopefully feature the finished project on her YouTube channel show, Homes for All.

Mason just wants to be left alone after the accident the tragic accident that left him a single father and ended his baseball career. He’s a bit of a reclusive grump and who could blame him after all he went through? But getting to know Sage with her warmth, positivity, and love starts to thaw Mason out and awaken feelings he never thought he’d have again after the accident.

Sage has her career path figured out and staying in Hope’s Crossing has never been her plan, but getting to know Mason, seeing his unerring love for his daughter and his resilience after all life has handed him has her yearning for a future that includes love.

All is Bright was a magical, heartwarming romance! Healing and forgiveness also feature prominently, as well as a community coming together to help a family in need. Just the kind of story to pull at my heartstrings and fill me with joy!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

Return to Hope’s Crossing this Christmas in New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne’s latest heartwarming story of matchmaking at the holidays!

Sage McKnight is an ambitious young architect working at her father’s firm who takes on her most challenging client in Mason Tucker. The former pro baseball player is still healing from the physical and emotional scars after a plane crash left him a wheelchair-using single dad, and he’s determined not to let anyone breach his emotional defenses. Sage knows her work on Mason’s new home in Hope’s Crossing is her best work yet, and she won’t let her grumpy client prevent her from showcasing her work personally.

With Sage’s gift for taking broken things and making them better, the matchmaking talent of the quirky locals and a generous sprinkling of Christmas cheer, Mason doesn’t stand a chance against the power of this magical holiday season.

Blog Tour Spotlight & Excerpt: Summer at the Cape by RaeAnne Thayne

Hello there! I've been MIA for the last week since moving is kicking my butt and looking at other houses is has scrambled my brain, but I wanted to share the newest from a favorite author RaeAnne Thayne! I have an excerpt to share as well as details for the book:

Summer at the Cape by RaeAnne Thayne

Publication Date: April 12th 2022 by HQN

Pages: 336

Source: Publisher

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Powell's | Goodreads | Bookshop.org 

Books-A-Million | Harlequin 

Excerpt:

Book Description:

 

Summer at the Cape is the fourth original hardcover from New York Times, USA TODAY, and Publisher's Weekly bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne. With the emotional pull of Debbie Macomber, Barbara Delinsky, and Susan Wiggs, RaeAnne tells the story of the Porter sisters, Cami and Violet, who come together to mourn the death of Violet's twin, Lily. Over the course of the summer, the sisters must make peace with each other and also individually with their free-spirited, outspoken, activist mother who left their father two decades earlier.

As the older sister to identical twins Violet and Lily, Cami Porter had always been the odd sister out. The breach became even stronger when her parents split up—while the twins stayed in Cape Sanctuary with their free-spirited activist mother, Rosemary, fourteen-year-old Cami moved to L.A. with her by-the-book attorney father, Ted. Nearly twenty years later, when Cami gets the tragic news that Lily has drowned saving a child, Cami returns to her childhood home—her mother and Violet need her.

About the author:

New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne finds inspiration in the beautiful norhtern Utah mountains where she lives with her family.   Her stories have been described as "poignant and sweet" with "beautiful honest storytelling that goes straight to the heart."  She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.raeannethayne.com.

Connect with RaeAnne Thayne:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads

Holly Jolly Holiday Tour! Review: Sleigh Bells Ring by RaeAnne Thayne

 

Sleigh Bells Ring by RaeAnneThayne

Publication Date: October 26th 2021 by HQN Books

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Harlequin | BookShop.org | Books-A-Million | Powell's

My Thoughts:

Annelise McCade is back at Angel's View Ranch after a decade away, hired in as caretaker. She’s moved back to Wyoming to help her widowed brother after a series of bad choices lands him in jail with no one to care for his six-year-old twins. It doesn’t seem like a problem to have the twins stay with her at the sprawling ranch since the Sheridan’s rarely visit. However, with the passing of Wallace, the Sheridan’s patriarch, and they all descend with plans to scatter his ashes at the place he loved most.

Without advance warning of the family’s visit there’s no time to hire in more help and so Annelise and Tate Sheridan, her childhood crush and new Sheridan leader, band together to accommodate and care for his extended family.  Tate, Annelise and the twins scramble to turn Angel's View Ranch into a welcoming Christmas getaway to ease some of the grief they all feel with Wallace’s death. Annelise as a young girl crushed on Tate when he’d come visit over the Summers while growing up, and those feelings come back stronger than ever as they work together. 

Tate and his family endured the loss of his father in a horseback riding accident on the Ranch years back. Visiting brought back all the grief, so Tate, his sister and mother just stopped visiting. Coming back for his grandfather’s service gives his family a chance to face the past, heal wounds and overcome the guilt they’ve felt. Having Annelise’s help and support is everything and Tate’s finds himself falling for her a little more with every moment they spend together.

Sleigh Bells Ring was a heartwarming story with not one, but two romances! Annelise’s twin niece and nephew were adorable, and there were plenty of winter wonderland activities that filled me with joy! While there is romance, I feel like there was a lot more going on. I enjoyed the imperfect journey of all the characters. Healing after guilt and grief with the support of family and friends was a central focus making for an uplifting, lovely holiday story! Definite Hallmark Movie vibes here!

4 Stars

Book Description:

None of the Sheridan family members has visited the gorgeous Angel's View Ranch in the entire thirty months Annie McCade has been the caretaker of the property, and she has no reason to believe this holiday season will be any different. After all, why would they visit? Annie knows Wallace Sheridan, the family patriarch who hired her, loved it here but no one else in the family did. They couldn't face their dark memories of the place. Annie certainly understands their pain--when, as a child, she lived on the ranch, she saw a young and frantic Tate Sheridan come galloping out of the mountains,, looking for help for his severely injured father, who would later die from massive injuries. Since then,with the exception of Wallace, the whole remaining family couldn't get away fast enough.

And actually, Annie is grateful to have the place to herself--her ne'er-do-well brother got himself thrown in jail over the holidays, and she took temporary custody of her little niece and nephew for Christmas. Until Tate shows up and she unexpectedly hits him square in the face with a snowball! She worries that she is about to get fired, but Tate, after confronting the ghosts of his past, realizes he wants Annie to stay. His big family and their entourage are arriving the next day, and he can't manage them--and the big, echoing ranch house--without her.

So Tate has a brilliant idea. He tells her she and the kids can stay, through the holidays at least--if she agrees to pretend to be his long-lost love, to keep his busybody matchmaking grandmother off his back.

Annie is at first outraged by the suggestions and then intrigued. How hard could it be to pretend she and Tate have fallen for each other? He's gorgeous, after all--and some part of her heart had never forgotten their long-ago friendship. The trick, she realizes, will be convincing her heart during the magical holiday season that it's only make believe.

Author Bio:

RaeAnne Thayne is the #1 Publishers Weekly, New York Times, and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than sixty books. Her books have been described as "poignant and sweet," with "beautiful, honest storytelling that goes straight to the heart." She finds inspiration from the beautiful northern Utah mountains, where she lives with her family.

Connect with RaeAnne Thayne:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads

Review: A Brambleberry Summer by RaeAnne Thayne

 

A Brambleberry Summer (The Women of Brambleberry House #5) by RaeAnne Thayne

Publication Date: June 29th 2021 by Harlequin Special Edition

Pages: 228

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Rosa Galvez is attracted to Wyatt Townsend, but with him being a police officer she feels her past will make it hard for things to work out. However, when Wyatt and his young son need an apartment while their fire damaged house is being repaired Rosa knows it will be next to impossible for Wyatt to get a place. Cannon Beach is in the middle of their busy tourist season, and Rosa feels she obligated to offer up one of the empty apartments she manages at Brambleberry House.

When Rosa’s past was revealed, I wasn’t sure why she thought it’d be a problem between her and Wyatt, as her actions were completely understandable. It wasn’t like she was a lawbreaker or anything either. It didn’t end up being a huge obstacle in the story. I appreciated the romance was low angst. Wyatt and Rosa were around each other a lot because of the forced proximity and ended up spending more time together making it hard to ignore the attraction they felt from the start. I enjoyed Rosa’s relationship with Logan, Wyatt’s cute seven-year-old son, as well.

Cannon Beach is one of my favorite places to visit in Oregon, with its gorgeous Pacific Coast beaches and forests that spill out onto the sand. The small town is cute with picturesque shops and restaurants, surrounded by greenery and planter boxes filled with flowers, and the author described it beautifully making it feel like another visit!

A Brambleberry Summer was a feel-good, easy going romance with a beautiful setting brought to life so vividly I could almost feel the ocean breeze!

4 Stars

Book Description:

A new season leads to a new beginning in New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne's latest heartwarming romance!

Will the secrets of her past…

Prevent her from having the future she’s always wanted?

Rosa Galvez’s attraction to Officer Wyatt Townsend is as powerful as the moon’s pull on the tides. But with her past, Rosa knows better than to act on her feelings. When Wyatt and his adorable son become Brambleberry House’s newest tenants, Rosa finds her resolve slipping. Her solo life slowly becomes a sun-filled family adventure—until dark secrets threaten to break like a summer storm.

Blog Tour Review: The Path to Sunshine Cove by RaeAnne Thayne

The Path to Sunshine Cove ( #2) by RaeAnne Thayne

Publication Date: March 30th 2021 by HQN Books

Pages: 336

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Harlequin | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Books-A-Million 

Walmart | Indiebound | iBooks | Google | Kobo

My Thoughts:

Jess rarely spends more than a few weeks in any place, going from job to job as a clean-up/declutter guru for her business, Transitions.  This is just the way she likes it. No close, long-term attachments that can drag you down and damage.  However, she’s taken on a job in Cape Sanctuary, her younger sister Rachel’s hometown because she sensed an undercurrent of stress coming from her.  It’s been a long time since the two have been close, but maybe she can help and close some of the distance between them.

Rachel for her part is stressed out. Trying to emulate the perfect housewife and mother as an influencer has become just about impossible with her three-year-old Silas throwing tantrums daily. Finding out he’s on the spectrum wasn’t a shock, but it’s disheartening to feel so helpless as Silas becomes frustrated and at times out of control. It’s definitely put a strain her marriage, and Rachel feels like she’s drowning under the pressure.  Having her older sister visit only adds to the stress, as their relationship has been strained for many years.

Can these two sort out their problems and find happiness? Jess and Rachel each faced relatable, realistic problems, that made it easy for me to put myself in their shoes and root for a solution, a HEA for both. There’s not one, but two romances here: Rachel and her high-school sweetheart hubby facing the challenges dealing with a special needs child and Jess finding a man in Cape Sanctuary when she had no plans on ever settling down. I loved both romances and each were low on drama. I appreciated that the conflict made sense and didn’t drag on and on.

Loved the Northern California coastal setting that came to life with Ms. Thayne’s beautiful descriptions! It’s such a gorgeous area, sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean that take your breath away! There’s a spot I visit at least yearly, close to the Oregon border that I pictured in my mind as I read (see pictures below). Now I want to go again!

The Path to Sunshine Cove was such a lovely, feel-good kind of romance that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys an uplifting story!

4 Stars

About the Author: New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne finds inspiration in the beautiful northern Utah mountains where she lives with her family. Her books have won numerous honors, including six RITA Award nominations from Romance Writers of America and Career Achievement and Romance Pioneer awards from RT Book Reviews. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.raeannethayne.com.

Connect with RaeAnne Thayne:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

About the book:

She knows what’s best for everyone but herself…
With a past like hers, Jessica Clayton feels safer in a life spent on the road. She’s made a career out of helping others downsize—because she’s learned the hard way that the less “stuff,” the better, a policy she applies equally to her relationships. But a new client is taking Jess back to Cape Sanctuary, a town she once called home…and that her little sister, Rachel, still does. The years apart haven’t made a dent in the guilt Jess still carries after a handgun took the lives of both their parents and changed everything between them.

While Jess couldn’t wait to put the miles between her and Cape Sanctuary, Rachel put down roots, content for the world—and her sister—to think she has a picture-perfect life. But with the demands of her youngest child’s disability, Rachel’s marriage has begun to fray at the seams. She needs her sister now more than ever, yet she’s learned from painful experience that Jessica doesn’t do family, and she shouldn’t count on her now.

Against her judgment, Jess finds herself becoming attached—to her sister and her family, even to her client’s interfering son, Nate—and it’s time to put everything on the line. Does she continue running from her painful past, or stay put and make room for the love and joy that come along with it?