Rating: Liked It
Source: Publisher
Description: 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.
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Why I Picked This Book: Thayne is an auto-buy author for me.
My Impression: I absolutely love Thayne's Haven Point series so whenever she ventures away from there I get a bit nervous. But no matter where the book is set Thayne never fails to deliver a cozy read with a fully formed community and this was no exception. Unlike a typical romance this book is more of an ensemble cast with multiple characters getting page time. It does help flesh out the community feel but these characters have ISSUES and those issues can get a bit overwhelming. As well because the characters are so closely connected it can get a bit repetitive as we explore each character's issues from multiple perspectives. And because of all the issues the three main characters - Olivia, Juliet, and Caitlin - can be a lot prickly and at times hard to like.
Now that sounds pretty negative but I don't mean it to be. Despite the issues that kept me from falling head over heels in love with the book I did still really enjoy it. As I mentioned before Thayne is incredibly dependable and always delivers a lovely read. The book was so readable and always one that I fell into the story as soon as I picked the book up. Even when the character were being extra prickly there's still a lot of heart and as the book progresses you grow to care about the characters even if you don't always like them. And of course it wraps up in a way that left me with a full heart and a smile.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Or course! Thayne is a favorite and I always enjoy her books.
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy fiction with an ensemble cast, a lot of heart and a bit of romance then this is a great pick.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
I do like ensemble casts but all of the issues and prickliness give me pause. Maybe as a library book.
ReplyDeleteI have this one to read. I love this author so I'll probably enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy her books whenever I pick one up. I should do it more often!
ReplyDeleteI really need to read this author. This sounds like a really nice read. I am so glad you enjoyed it, Katherine!
ReplyDeleteI think this is a really fair review of this book. I think it is a women's fiction type of book and I do lean towards those.
ReplyDeleteI just downloaded this book and can't wait to start reading it. I haven't read Thayne in a while, but I'm eager to see what this book has to offer. Thanks for your great review.
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