RaeAnne Thayne writes with compassion and empathy, never failing to take me on an emotional journey. In Summer at the Cape, she explores the dynamics of the Porter family as they each deal, in their own ways, with the emotional consequences following the death of one of their own. It's a story of forgiveness, healing, strength, and new beginnings, both as individuals and as a family.

Thayne pulled me into the story of this family from the start and kept me engaged throughout. I enjoyed the push and pull among Violet, Cami, and their mother as they confront past hurts, redefine present relationships, and move forward as a unit. Family dynamics, especially those with emotional cracks, create greater depth in a story. Thayne is a master at writing them and, in this book, not only for the Porters. There are other families facing emotional reckonings of their own which are woven seamlessly into the events surrounding the Porters. I found the situation surrounding Jon Rafferty and his father especially poignant. And there are facets of Alex and Ariana Mendoza's story that were quite the surprise.

While this book is primarily focused on the journeys of Cami, Violet, and Rosemary, there are also strong romantic threads for all three women that I very much enjoyed. Thayne blended the women's fiction and contemporary romance elements together in a heartfelt story that checked all of my happy reader boxes. She created fully-developed, multi-layered characters who engaged both my mind and my heart, taking them on a journey that made me laugh, sigh, and shed more than a few tears. Then she brought them together in an epilogue that was hopeful, healing, life affirming, and sparkling with three happily ever after relationships that made my heart sing.

I highly recommend adding this one to your summer reading list.

*Advance copy received for fair and unbiased review

I really loved this book, I really wanted to be on that beach in the story, I can't wait to read more books from this author. RaeAnne writes beautiful stories.

One of my favorite relaxing reading author came out with a new book and I was so excited to revisit Cape Sanctuary. As with all of her books, they can all be stand alone, but they are all so wonderful that you might as well just read them all! It is like a hallmark movie in a book set in a beautiful PNW beach town. The characters have some crossover from the previous book, and this one picks up right where the last one left us.
After reading this, I think I’m ready for a glamping trip in Cape Sanctuary. Who’s with me???

The only thing that could have made this book more perfect would have been a porch swing, a gentle ocean breeze, and some cookies! I really enjoyed this. Good character growth, sweet neighborhood relationships, some family drama (not overwhelming, perfect amount), and the ultimate Happily Ever After. I would recommend this to everyone who loves sweet, heartwarming romances.

4⭐️ for Summer at the Cape by @raeannethayne

TW: death of a child/sibling

Thank you so much to @letstalkbooksreaderteam, @letstalkbookspromo, @raeannethayne, @netgalley, & @harlequinbooks for allowing me to be a book stop on the book tour for Summer At The Cape

Blurb: A few months after, Cami gets the terrible news that Lily has drowned saving a child’s life, her mother begs her to return home to help untangle the complicated estate issues her sister left behind. Navigating their own strained relationship, Cami heads back to the family and area she never really which now includes the neighbor who stands in the way of her late sister’s dream. Violet grieves the loss of her twin and struggles to figure out who she is now, without her other half, as the little girl Lily saved pulls her back into the orbit of the man she once loved.

My thoughts: this was a story mostly of second chances. Second chances in love. Second chances with family. Second chances at forgiveness, with others & themselves. I loved the setting, a picturesque small town in Northern California, even if I did originally think that this story was taking place on Cape Cod 😂. The growth of the characters in just a few short weeks was lovely. I loved seeing them each come to terms with Lily’s death & how to grow from that. Lily may have died saving someone, but her death was not in vain as it helped save her family from themselves. Violet had to learn to forgive herself for things she said, that she couldn’t take back. Cami had to learn how to love her life again. Lily helped both of them with that. Rosemary & their father had to learn how to be again. The whole story was just a heart warming story that made my heart happy!

I’m so excited that it’s the time of the year where I read all the beach-y books! Summer at the Cape hits the spot!

Cami’s an LA attorney and is called home to Cape Sanctuary to help her mother with some affairs since the passing of her sister Lily. I related so much to Cami - being in the regulatory world, driven, and having left the nest of all that is a small town including being resistant to returning. And yet, Cami has this endearing side of empathy, especially when interacting with her mother’s aging neighbor.

I also loved how very real this story is. Dealing with aging grandparents myself, there were so many raw moments I really understood throughout the book. Those moments, especially toward the end, made me tear up.

Such a beautiful and realistic book. If you’re looking for something relatable, that will make you feel, and is perfect to read on the beach, look no further!

A big thank you to @getredprbooks for the opportunity to read this book. The review expresses my own personal opinions.

Summer at the Cape is a great mix of tragedy and romance rolled into one. The characters are strong, but none overpower the other. There are sweet sentiments, life lessons, and relatable situations.

SUMMER AT THE CAPE by RaeAnne Thayne is a heartfelt women’s fiction novel about a divided family, grief, forgiveness, love and loss. This is a standalone novel that will take you on an emotional roller-coaster ride. Make sure you have the tissues close.

Cape Sanctuary is the coastal town Rosemary Porter with her twins, Lily and Violet has retreated to after the divorce of her high-powered attorney husband. Cami, the older sister of the twins has stayed with her father in Los Angeles and become a lawyer, also. As the years have passed, so has the divide as the sister live their own lives.

After nearly twenty years and only four months after the death of Lily as she was rescuing the lives of two young girls, Rosemary begs Cami to return to Cape Sanctuary to help with a legal issue Lily left unfinished. Besides dealing with the neighbor who stands in the way of Lily’s dream, she is also having to navigate her own strained relationships with her mother and younger sister. Violet is also trying to deal with the grief of her last words to her twin before her death and the man she once loved, who is the father of one of the girls her sister saved when she lost her life.

This is one of those books you pick up and are immediately lost in the story and invested in all the characters, which continues to happen when I choose books by this author. The three main female characters all deal with their grief and loss in different ways, try to reconnect with each other and travel the minefield of regrets and hurt feelings along the way. They are strong women who have made mistakes but have learned with Lily’s death that their love for each other is what is important, and they are willing to work for it. The secondary characters are fully fleshed and realistic, from the neighbor with Alzheimer’s and the little girl Lily saved, to the men who find romance with the women. This is an overall beautifully written story of family and forgiveness.

I highly recommend this excellent small town, women’s fiction/romance novel!

SUMMER AT THE CAPE is a look at how families cope with the sudden death of a younger family member, all while dealing with past hurts and resurfaced feelings. When Cami was fourteen, her parents divorced and the family split apart. She stayed in Los Angeles with her defense attorney father while her twin sisters moved to Cape Sanctuary and lived on an inherited farm with their mother. Twenty years later, Cami is now an attorney herself and still in LA, but her sisters had scattered away from the area where they grew up. Suddenly, one of the twins passed away saving two girls from drowning in a turbulent ocean, and the family hasn’t been the same since. The mother Rosemary has been left trying to keep Lily’s dream of an upscale camp ground afloat while the other twin Violet teaches special education and deals with the fact that she was fighting with her twin when she died.

When Rosemary asks Cami to come to Cape Sanctuary to untangle the legal mess that surrounds the camp ground, Cami rearranges her busy work life to go. But she never thought that she’d grow to feel at home there or that she just might meet the love of her life. Violet comes down to help out for the summer and tries to avoid the man that broke her heart in high school. The feelings might still be there for one or both of them, but she’s too wounded to make the leap. Add in the neighbor who leased the land for the camp ground in the beginning stages of dementia, and also a very worried archaeologist son, and there’s plenty of drama to be found.

The audiobook was fantastic to listen to. The narrator was excellent and I found that the story just flew by too quickly. Summer at the Cape is told in the points of views of Cami and Violet, so you’re really along for the ride as everyone tries to navigate what life has thrown at them.

I give SUMMER AT THE CAPE a five out of five. Few authors can make you feel instantly at home and like you know the characters like RaeAnne Thayne does with each release. There’s plenty of emotional moments along with comedic, romantic, and serious times as well. Having lost two family members in the last six months, I could feel their loss really well. Jon and Cami had a hard road to overcome to be together, as well as Violet and Alejandro. The characters were all so relatable, from Cami’s feelings that her mother didn’t want her to Violet’s first love being in her life again, to even Rosemary getting a fresh start in the romance department. I highly recommend this smart, compassionate, and emotional book–especially the audiobook.

T𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁
👒Cami, an attorney working at her father’s LA firm, travels up north to Cape Sanctuary to help her mother with a legal matter threatening the launch of her late sister Lily’s ‘glamping’ retreat business
👒Violet, Lily’s twin sister, has also returned to Cape Sanctuary to help her mother, Rosemary run the retreat.
👒The three women grieve Lily, who drowned saving the lives of two young girls caught in a strong undertow and work hard to see Lily’s dream campground come to reality.

Thoughts:
👒An enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance with multi-generational family dynamics dealing with grief and loss that is both bittersweet and heartwarming
👒Wild Hearts and the Moon Gate Farm will make you want to book a long weekend in a Northern California oceanside town. It will also make you hungry for a farm-to-table breakfast!
👒I enjoyed a twist that I did not see coming

This is the fourth book in the Cape Sanctuary Series, and fans of RaeAnne Thayne novels will not be disappointed. These books are standalone with a common location and a perfect cozy book to add to your vacation tote bag.

As a caregiver, I appreciated the inclusion of dementia in the storyline and how the disease can impact a family --and even a community.

Ok, I want to live here. The perfect summer read complete with the beach, glamping, romance, tragedy, second-chances, forgiveness, and mouth-watering breakfasts! The Cape is the perfect backdrop for this sweet read 💕.

I just can't resist titles that start with "Summer at." I'm going to blame my lingering winter blues on that one! Summer at the Cape is one of two books with this general theme, and honestly? I have zero regrets about reading both.

Cami has always kinda been the sore thumb in the family. And really, everywhere she goes. It isn't her fault. Her little sisters were twins, her mother a free spirit, and her father a lawyer. It's impossible to fit into any of those categories. The divorce just made all these differences more apparent.

Twenty years later, Cami's relationship with her family still isn't what it could be, especially when it comes to her sisters. But one phone call is still all it takes to alter her world. One of her sisters is dead.

I feel like Summer at the Cape has a little bit of something for everyone. It's a contemporary romance and women's fiction rolled into one, but that statement doesn't grasp all that Summer at the Cape offers.

This was such an emotional read. As an only child, I couldn't personally relate to many parts of this story, and yet the words pulled at me and made me feel like my heart was along for the ride. That's the story I'm looking for when hunting for an emotional read. It's also something that Summer at the Cape truly nailed.

It was easy to become invested in this cast of characters, especially Cami. Her story is so human, even while dealing with the worst that life offers. Perhaps I should say especially that it probably depends on your perspective.

I am so happy to have taken the time to read Summer at the Cape. This was the first novel I've read by RaeAnne Thayne, and you better believe I'll be adding her to my list of authors to keep an eye out for.

Side comment right off the bat: I cannot believe how many novels RaeAnne has written! Her dedication made my jaw drop and laugh. I've now read two. Now that that's off my chest...
I really enjoyed this women's fiction romance (times two). With not-a-little trepidation, sisters Cami and Violet go to help their mother with her glamp grounds. Their sister's pet project is threatening to be shut down after her unexpected death. Relationships on all sides are strained at best and each is grieving in their own way. The way their stories are woven together is beautifully done.
My only complaint is that I much prefer multiple narrators for multiple POV novels. Outside of that, I do love Carly Robins performance. She's reliably effortless to listen to.
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy and Harper Audio for the alc. All thoughts in this review are my own.

I have enjoyed many of RaeAnne's books. This book appealed to me, was delighted to read ARC.

A young busy lawyer with insomnia receives a phone call from her mother (who left her behind after the divorce and starting a new life) - now desperately needs her help.

How she responds and the ripple effects of decisions made will keep you reading.
I was spellbound on this visit to Cape Sanctuary and would be overjoyed to have a return trip!

This was such a good story. I love a good story about second chances and also enemies to lovers. This book had a little bit of both. There was some seriousness throughout but it was also a feel good read.

Cami is headed home to help her mom figure out estate issues that her sister Lily has left behind. Lily drowned saving a child's life and her death has devastated her family. Since her parents divorce and she was sent to live with her father while her sisters stayed with their mom Cami has always felt like an outsider looking in. She does her best to adjust to being with her family as she navigates the mess her sister left behind. It doesn't help that she is attracted to the neighbor who is holding her moms future lively hood in the balance. Follow along on Cami's journey, can old wounds heal, new love take hold and bitterness be left behind? This was an emotional read that took me on exploration of family dynamics and what it takes to heal.

Where have I been...this is my first book by this author. I definitely have a new favorite and she has quite a library that I am thrilled to read going forward. This is an excellent beach read. I laughed, I cried. So many elements of modern day living in this book. Always love a story about sisters, but this book has that and so much more.

Cami had a split family after her parents divorced where her twin sisters were settled with the mother and Cami who was very much like her father was sent with him. Its been 20 years since then and Cami and dealing with the news of one of twin sisters death and theres some type of property battle about to ensue and her mother needs her help. Meanwhile Violet is dealing with the loss of her twin sister as well as finding out her sister died saving a daughter to the man she almost married.

Wow there was just so much to unpack when it came to this book. There was the whole grief and loss that was really settling around the whole story. I mean the sister who died with the help of her mother came up with a really great glamping idea but the guy who owns the property might not be of sound mind and without the proper paperwork in comes Cami to see what she can do. It was obvious from the moment she got there was a bit of a boundary type of feeling between the family I mean the girl was sent to live with her father, she wasn't even asked and now she's trying to fix whatever her mothers side of the family is having issues with. It was interesting seeing how she was working that out though because the property owners son was there to figure out things and possibly try to boot Cami's family outta there thinking they are taking advantage of his father. I loved that romance brewing between Cami and the guy though because they are on opposite spectrums of the issue and it was interesting seeing how it was settled. I personally was really rooting for the two. Then there was Violets point of view, I can only imagine the shot in the heart that she was dealing with being back home and people reminding her how much she looks like her sister. I just realized how long this was getting but when it came to her side story I enjoyed how it turned out I'll always hope for the best when it comes to second chances at love.

I really enjoyed reading Summer at the Cape!
The story is such a feel good read!
Loved all the characters…..
Dealing with grief, second chances and learning how to move is the main topic.
Perfect summer reading that I highly recommend.
Always love reading books written by RaeAnne Thayne.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This story encompasses a little bit of everything, family dynamics, second chance love, love and loss, forgiveness, and a happily ever after. It is both a sad yet sweet story.

When Violet and Cami return to Cape Sanctuary after the death of Violet’s twin Lily, they must face their childhood, old and new loves, and learn how to navigate their new lives.

While I enjoyed all the characters, Franklin, & Jon stole my heart. I was a little sad when the story ended as I wanted to see what was next for all the characters and I definitely wanted more time at Wild Hearts campground in the fabulous glamping tents!

This was a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star read and brings everything Thayne is known for in her stories!