Title: The Sea Glass Cottage by RaeAnne Thayne
Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
From the New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne comes a brand-new novel for fans of Debbie Macomber and Susan Wiggs. RaeAnne Thayne tells the story of an emotional homecoming that brings hope and healing to three generations of women.
The life Olivia Harper always dreamed of isn’t so dreamy these days. The 16-hour work days are unfulfilling and so are things with her on-again, off-again boyfriend. But when she hears that her estranged mother, Juliet, has been seriously injured in a car accident, Liv has no choice but to pack up her life and head home to beautiful Cape Sanctuary on the Northern California coast.
It’s just for a few months—that’s what Liv keeps telling herself. But the closer she gets to Cape Sanctuary, the painful memories start flooding back: Natalie, her vibrant, passionate older sister who downward-spiraled into addiction. The fights with her mother who enabled her sister at every turn. The overdose that took Natalie, leaving her now-teenaged daughter, Caitlin, an orphan.
As Liv tries to balance her own needs with those of her injured mother and an obstinate, resentful fifteen-year-old, it becomes clear that all three Harper women have been keeping heartbreaking secrets from one another. And as those secrets are revealed, Liv, Juliet, and Caitlin will see that it’s never too late—or too early—to heal family wounds and find forgiveness.
Review:
The Sea Glass Cottage by RaeAnne Thayne is a delightful novel of healing, new beginnings and love.
Olivia “Liv” Harper left her home town of Cape Sanctuary for college and never looked back. Now settled in Seattle, she is working long hours between her regular job and her start up media business. But when Liv hears that her slightly estranged mother Juliet has been injured in a fall, she does not hesitate to rush to her side. Will spending extra time with Juliet help mend the rift between them?
Liv is a bit annoying in the beginning as she lets her fears and shame control her. She is also in over her head at the family owned nursery but she works hard to keep the business going. She is patient with her mother who does not like to accept help from others. Liv is also troubled by her fifteen year niece Caitlin’s sudden animosity towards her. But she is somewhat overwhelmed with juggling her mother’s care, the family nursery and keeping up with her businesses so she does not have the energy to delve deeper into what is bothering her niece.
Juliet has been on her own ever since her beloved husband passed away years earlier. She had no choice but to dedicate long hours to saving the family business and deal with her oldest daughter Natalie’s drug addiction. Unfortunately her relationship with Liv suffered and they have never quite fixed their still lingering issues. Although grateful for Liv’s help, Juliet struggles with being the person on the receiving end of assistance.
Caitlin absolutely adores her grandmother but in recent months, she has actively been trying to find out more information about her father. With the help of her best friend, Jake Cragun, she has settled on a plan of action. In the course of trying to find out more details about her mom, Caitlin stumbled across distressing information that she has allowed to color her viewpoint of her aunt Liv. Seething with resentment, Caitlin shuts out everyone but Jake as she continues searching for her dad.
In between the family and personal dramas, both Liv and Juliet are surprised when the possibility of romance arises. Liv has been keeping a secret for quite some time and she uses it as an excuse to put the brakes on a budding romance with Jake’s dad, Henry. Liv’s childhood crush Cooper Vance has returned to town and she is a bit embarrassed when by the realization she is still attracted to him. When he expresses an interest in her, will Liv allow her fears of getting hurt prevent her from taking a chance on love?
With a serene setting and appealing characters, The Sea Glass Cottage is a captivating novel of hope and forgiveness. The characters are vibrantly developed and they grow and evolve over the course of the story. This newest release by RaeAnne Thayne is heartfelt a story with realistic issues that will resonate with readers.
