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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this book about three generations of women, learning about themselves and sharing their secrets with each other and those they love. We've got Juliet, the matriarch who runs the family's garden shop since she was widowed years ago. She's the mother of Olivia, a successful tech business owner living 12 hours away in Seattle. The third generation is Caitlin, Olivia's niece who has spent her 15-year-life so far with Juliet.
Caitlin has been snooping around, trying to find clues to who her father is, since her mother died of an overdose before Caitlin could get to know her. And Juliet has been hiding secrets about her own health, which may come to a head quickly after she falls from a ladder at the garden center, breaking her hip and some ribs. Olivia has decided she is the one who needs to hold them all together now, but she's still a little nervous about being in public after witnessing a very public crime a week or so earlier.
I found Juliet and Olivia's stubborn independence a bit relatable, but could also understand the healthy dose of teenage attitude that Caitlin was dishing out without telling anyone why. The men they interacted with sometimes seemed like just props in the journey of the women to be find their way through their own circumstances and trust each other with their truths and their hearts.
Overall, I'd give this book 3 out of 5 stars. I really didn't want to believe one of the things that was revealed, and kept waiting for an alternative truth, but otherwise the story was pretty predictable.
Caitlin has been snooping around, trying to find clues to who her father is, since her mother died of an overdose before Caitlin could get to know her. And Juliet has been hiding secrets about her own health, which may come to a head quickly after she falls from a ladder at the garden center, breaking her hip and some ribs. Olivia has decided she is the one who needs to hold them all together now, but she's still a little nervous about being in public after witnessing a very public crime a week or so earlier.
I found Juliet and Olivia's stubborn independence a bit relatable, but could also understand the healthy dose of teenage attitude that Caitlin was dishing out without telling anyone why. The men they interacted with sometimes seemed like just props in the journey of the women to be find their way through their own circumstances and trust each other with their truths and their hearts.
Overall, I'd give this book 3 out of 5 stars. I really didn't want to believe one of the things that was revealed, and kept waiting for an alternative truth, but otherwise the story was pretty predictable.
Starts a bit slowly, with two key events (an accident and a witnessed assault) having already taken place and being described in retrospect rather than being described as if happening in the present. Also a few of the references seem entirely gratuitous, especially the reference to a doctor and his partner early in the story, which seems to be included to score p.c. points than for the sake of the story. Once the narrative gets going, it seems to flow more smoothly, and the resolution is fine, though it's dependent on one of the characters having had her DNA tested and making the sequences available for comparison as well as her name -- which is not how such data are typically shared.
3.5 Stars I enjoyed this book. My only critique is it could have been shorter. There were several places the author repeats herself, going over the backstory more than needed. But I loved the setting and the characters
Ms Thyne can surely write a book that will keep you hooked till the last page, root for the characters and smile or move.
This story is no exception and I loved every moment.
I loved the female characters, they're all so strong and frail at same time, realistic and well thought.
I liked how the story is told by different POV and how the past wounds can be healed by love, communication and growing a healthy relationship.
It's a story about family, friendship, healing and how important communication is.
The setting is lovely and the vivid description made me wish I was there.
It was an excellent read, engrossing and entertaining, heartwarming and poignant.
I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to HQN and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
This story is no exception and I loved every moment.
I loved the female characters, they're all so strong and frail at same time, realistic and well thought.
I liked how the story is told by different POV and how the past wounds can be healed by love, communication and growing a healthy relationship.
It's a story about family, friendship, healing and how important communication is.
The setting is lovely and the vivid description made me wish I was there.
It was an excellent read, engrossing and entertaining, heartwarming and poignant.
I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to HQN and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Netgalley, and HQN Books for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.
I think that Thayne may be another of my favorite authors, because there hasn’t been a book that I’ve read by her that I didn’t like in some shape or form. It’s been pretty positive so far, and even though I may not be a sucker for romance novels all the time, I’ve been able to let this frozen heart of mine thaw out a bit and sigh a bit after finishing the story I get to read.
Whenever there is a book about a female character living the life that she always dreamed of, but finding that it wasn’t as cracked up to be as she thought it would be, it literally hurts my soul and makes me question whether or not I really think my dream life will live up to my expectations. It seems to be so much more common that while we think we know what we want – and maybe we really do – there are probably some aspects that will play out in a totally different way to what we need in life to grow.
I feel like this book also spoke to me on a more personal level because I have really been avoiding going back home, like to permanently live. Maybe because I haven’t had some good experiences growing up, and I feel like that was a lot of my own fault back then, but I just feel like I don’t know if I could go back home unless it was an absolute emergency, like Olivia’s case was. Granted, I wouldn’t want to wait until something happened to my mother to move back home and help take care of her, but it makes me wonder if that would be the catalyst for me to go home sometimes.
I love when books can bring me back to my own reality, when I’ve been in the fantasy world too long. I’ve think I mentioned that books like these really help cleanse my palate when I need a little break from the constant “having to save the world because humans messed up” thing or just having to really think about the world-building and the magic system that I have in other books. I think that Thayne has been doing such a great job with her books lately – at least from when I first started reading her novels – and I look forward to reading more of her romance novels.
I think that Thayne may be another of my favorite authors, because there hasn’t been a book that I’ve read by her that I didn’t like in some shape or form. It’s been pretty positive so far, and even though I may not be a sucker for romance novels all the time, I’ve been able to let this frozen heart of mine thaw out a bit and sigh a bit after finishing the story I get to read.
Whenever there is a book about a female character living the life that she always dreamed of, but finding that it wasn’t as cracked up to be as she thought it would be, it literally hurts my soul and makes me question whether or not I really think my dream life will live up to my expectations. It seems to be so much more common that while we think we know what we want – and maybe we really do – there are probably some aspects that will play out in a totally different way to what we need in life to grow.
I feel like this book also spoke to me on a more personal level because I have really been avoiding going back home, like to permanently live. Maybe because I haven’t had some good experiences growing up, and I feel like that was a lot of my own fault back then, but I just feel like I don’t know if I could go back home unless it was an absolute emergency, like Olivia’s case was. Granted, I wouldn’t want to wait until something happened to my mother to move back home and help take care of her, but it makes me wonder if that would be the catalyst for me to go home sometimes.
I love when books can bring me back to my own reality, when I’ve been in the fantasy world too long. I’ve think I mentioned that books like these really help cleanse my palate when I need a little break from the constant “having to save the world because humans messed up” thing or just having to really think about the world-building and the magic system that I have in other books. I think that Thayne has been doing such a great job with her books lately – at least from when I first started reading her novels – and I look forward to reading more of her romance novels.
This was the sweetest story on healing for all three characters and I really enjoyed the town of Cape Sanctuary.
4.5 stars
What a beautiful story. In the beginning I couldn’t help but notice the similarity with some other recent stories I read, but that’s just the bones. By the time I got to know the characters I was no longer thinking of the other stories I read. Each author puts their own spin on things. I can’t think of what they name of this trope would be, but I have been noticing more and more books with whatever this one happens to be.
There is so much chemistry bouncing around in this book. Not just between the different romantic interests, but also friendships and familial relationships. I could easily feel all of the connections, the author did a brilliant job with that.
I’m a huge fan of warm-fuzzies. If your story gives me warm-fuzzies I will enjoy the book. I swear, for the last 25% of this book I was on a roller coaster with my emotions. Trust me, even if there are spots here and there that you don’t agree with along the way in this one, the ending is worth it all.
Every family has secrets; in real life and in fiction. Sometimes they are kept out of spite or ill intent. In the case of the Harper family these secrets are kept out of love. Unfortunately, as secrets tend to do, things festered and things were made worse instead of better. While the secrets Caitlin and Juliet keep are resolved by the end, I felt as though Olivia still had some work to do. Cooper recognizes and learns Olivia’s woes, but it’s still something she’s trying to sweep under the rug. This, in my mind, is the only problem with this story. I’d love to have seen Olivia to get some help.
Although I classify this story as a contemporary romance, it’s also a very family centered tale. It’s about strong women feeling the pressure to be perfect. It’s about caring women wanting to do it all for their loved ones. What I’m saying is that this book is deep and beautiful and inspiring.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
You can find more of my reviews at All In Good Time.
What a beautiful story. In the beginning I couldn’t help but notice the similarity with some other recent stories I read, but that’s just the bones. By the time I got to know the characters I was no longer thinking of the other stories I read. Each author puts their own spin on things. I can’t think of what they name of this trope would be, but I have been noticing more and more books with whatever this one happens to be.
There is so much chemistry bouncing around in this book. Not just between the different romantic interests, but also friendships and familial relationships. I could easily feel all of the connections, the author did a brilliant job with that.
I’m a huge fan of warm-fuzzies. If your story gives me warm-fuzzies I will enjoy the book. I swear, for the last 25% of this book I was on a roller coaster with my emotions. Trust me, even if there are spots here and there that you don’t agree with along the way in this one, the ending is worth it all.
Every family has secrets; in real life and in fiction. Sometimes they are kept out of spite or ill intent. In the case of the Harper family these secrets are kept out of love. Unfortunately, as secrets tend to do, things festered and things were made worse instead of better. While the secrets Caitlin and Juliet keep are resolved by the end, I felt as though Olivia still had some work to do. Cooper recognizes and learns Olivia’s woes, but it’s still something she’s trying to sweep under the rug. This, in my mind, is the only problem with this story. I’d love to have seen Olivia to get some help.
Although I classify this story as a contemporary romance, it’s also a very family centered tale. It’s about strong women feeling the pressure to be perfect. It’s about caring women wanting to do it all for their loved ones. What I’m saying is that this book is deep and beautiful and inspiring.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
You can find more of my reviews at All In Good Time.
Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars
See the full review at HarlequinJunkie
The Sea Glass Cottage was the perfect comfort read. In a book which proved that no matter what personal issues we face, there is always hope and solace to be found, RaeAnne Thayne’s deeply emotional writing voice rang through loud and clear.
I will try not to fangirl too much, as I’m sure you know by now that I adore RaeAnne Thayne’s lovely stories. They are my happy place. And The Sea Glass Cottage–which is a standalone but set in the same town as The Cliff House–reiterated that point quite well. I think Thayne’s writing style fits women’s fiction such as this perfectly, where her books already focus on depth of emotion and each character’s hard-won journey to happiness. It’s not that the romance is secondary. It’s that it blends in with all of the other elements... Read More
See the full review at HarlequinJunkie
The Sea Glass Cottage was the perfect comfort read. In a book which proved that no matter what personal issues we face, there is always hope and solace to be found, RaeAnne Thayne’s deeply emotional writing voice rang through loud and clear.
I will try not to fangirl too much, as I’m sure you know by now that I adore RaeAnne Thayne’s lovely stories. They are my happy place. And The Sea Glass Cottage–which is a standalone but set in the same town as The Cliff House–reiterated that point quite well. I think Thayne’s writing style fits women’s fiction such as this perfectly, where her books already focus on depth of emotion and each character’s hard-won journey to happiness. It’s not that the romance is secondary. It’s that it blends in with all of the other elements... Read More
Family-centric, I found this to be more women's fiction than romance - romance was present but didn't seem to be the premise despite being touted under the romance category. I was not surprised as I am not a stranger to Thayne's work but thought it worth mentioning for anyone looking for pure romance. It's there, it's just a bit secondary to the greater tale, in my opinion, although very sweetly done!
This storyline was appealing with a large emphasis on healing. The overall storyline arc has obvious elements that will not surprise the reader in the least and it was a bit slow to start - not boring, but we were over 60% through before we got to the "good stuff." Slow-paced but not yawn-inducing - a meander or stroll, not a full out run - and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that for a relaxing, uplifting read.
It was enjoyable and easy-paced although the ending felt a little cramped. Overall, I loved the book - it evoked emotion and held my interest. Ultimately, it's a definitively sweet, feel-good work of fiction.
My thanks to the publisher for the complimentary copy via NetGalley. Thoughts expressed are my own.
This storyline was appealing with a large emphasis on healing. The overall storyline arc has obvious elements that will not surprise the reader in the least and it was a bit slow to start - not boring, but we were over 60% through before we got to the "good stuff." Slow-paced but not yawn-inducing - a meander or stroll, not a full out run - and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that for a relaxing, uplifting read.
It was enjoyable and easy-paced although the ending felt a little cramped. Overall, I loved the book - it evoked emotion and held my interest. Ultimately, it's a definitively sweet, feel-good work of fiction.
My thanks to the publisher for the complimentary copy via NetGalley. Thoughts expressed are my own.
relaxing
medium-paced