It’s a story of two sisters who have survived a horrific past while living in a small town. They grow their separate ways but cross paths in the present when the older sister (Ava) comes back to town after writing a book on the traumatic events. Everyone loves the book except the younger sister (Madi) who refuses to read it.

It’s an entertaining read that quickly builds the characters and their dynamics (with the townspeople, family, romantic interests). I enjoyed the small town, multigenerational setting.

The scars on our bodies may have faded, but the wounds on our hearts remain tender, a constant reminder of the price we paid for freedom. —Ghost Lake by Ava Howell Brooks

15 Summers Ago is a book about a book! It’s a story of 2 sisters who endured severe physical and emotional trauma, 15 Summers Ago, and their story of survival and learning how to live again in the aftermath. I love the “summery” cover of this book, but this is a perfect example of “don’t judge a book by its cover” because this book was much heavier than your typical light and fluffy summer reads. It was emotionally complex, full of heavy topics, and family secrets, but it was also heartwarming and focused on rebuilding relationships and learning how to trust again after being hurt and feeling broken. This book is tagged as a contemporary romance, and yes there is a small amount of clean romance but it has a good strong plot and is plot driven and not solely based on the romance.

The story is told from multiple POVs…the 2 sisters, Ava and Madi, one is a teacher/author and the other is a vet tech and the owner of a ‘No Kill Animal Shelter’. We also get Luke’s POV, the town vet and close family friend of the sister’s family. There are several characters, plus it is a book about a book, but it wasn’t hard to keep it all straight.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved all the characters and the bonds that were created after the traumatic event. Thayne did an incredible job taking broken, traumatic filled characters, bringing them back together in a unique and creative way, and bonding them together as they worked through the hurt, heartache, and healing.

Story of Survival
Complex family dynamic
Found Family
Animal lovers
Book about a book!


TW-death, grief, miscarriage, marital issues, TBI, rape

Easy to read and sweet with an air of mystery. I think this was more about family drama rather than a romance. It was about two sisters who were figuring out their relationship as life changes them as they forged further and further away from their shared past. I really liked how the girls' pasts were divulged... little by little throughout the story but coherently. Friends to lovers is also one of my favorite tropes and this was just adorable.

What a sweet story of sisters, friends and true love that results from a horrendous trauma and tragedy. I really enjoyed this book.

I wanted to love this, but it just fell flat. There was a lot of repetition and not enough digging into the characters. Ava’s husband initially comes off as a jerk. His reason for separation was so weak, but thank goodness he shows up when they get a little surprise. Also, poor Ava! And Madi started off so endearing and just got annoying. Her reasons for staying mad at her sister were flimsy considering she didn’t actually read her sister’s book. It was like a roundabout way of miscommunication. All Ava did was show up continuously for her sister. Still, I enjoyed the small town feels, Luke and Madi’s romance, and the fact that Ava and Madi overcame true horrors. I’d definitely read this author again.

Content: check TWs, kisses

Thank you to Canary Street Press for a gifted copy. My thoughts are my own.

15 summers ago, lives were changed forever. Sisters Madi and Ava escaped captivity on Ghost Lake, where they were held by their father and his counterparts as part of a conspiracy theory/prepper compound. While the girls gained back their freedom that day, others lost their lives - including their father and the nearby town’s veterinarian, Dr. Gentry, who played a good Samaritan role in the ordeal. After it all, Madi was left with permanent injuries but makes the most of her life in Emerald Creek, Idaho, near Ghost Lake. She works closely with the son of the man who saved her - Dr. Luke Gentry followed in his father’s footsteps and is the current town veterinarian. Madi has a complex relationship with the Gentry’s - she feels forever indebted to them and doesn’t think Luke could ever really love her after his father died helping her. Meanwhile, Ava has recently published a memoir about their ordeal - causing rifts between her and Madi, but also her and her husband Cullen. Ava and Cullen take time apart and Ava returns to Emerald Creek. Can she repair these relationships?

This was a nice story with a happy ending. In my opinion, the cover doesn’t fit the book at all. No one is swimming or even at a lake in this entire book. I think the thriller/suspense lover in me wanted more details about Ava and Madi’s escape. I would have loved a dual timeline with a now and then - the closest we got was quotes from Ava’s book. I did appreciate the alternating points of view from Ava, Madi and Luke - it was especially nice to have his perspective as an “outsider”. Overall it was pretty low-stakes - I kept waiting for something huge to happen, and it didn’t. CW for surprise pregnancy and loss of said pregnancy. It’s still a nice, cozy read!

15 Summers Later isn't quite the beachy read you expect with that gorgeous cover, it's even better. It is an emotional read about childhood trauma but it also is about hope and moving forward. The characters are great, so well developed.

15 Summers Later follows two sisters (Madison and Ava) who went through some extremely traumatic events 15 summers ago. Madi is a vet tech who also opens a no kill shelter for all animals in Emerald Creek Idaho that need a home. Ava writes a book called “Ghost Lake” that talks about their tragic pasts and it ends up hitting the New York Times Bestseller’s List. This puts a huge rift in Madi and her sister’s relationship as Madi wanted to keep the past in the past and Ava did everything but that. I loved how each chapter in the book started with an excerpt from “Ghost Lake”. This book is multiple POVs and has found family, romance, small town tropes while also delving into the trauma these sisters faced. I truly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to be added to your TBRs!

DNFd at 38%

I really tried. I just don’t think this book is for me or just not the right time. I kept picking it up and putting it back down. Calling it now.

Ava and Madi are two sisters who experienced an traumatic situation 15 years ago and each has dealt with this experience in her own way. Ava became a teacher and Madi dove into rescuing animals.

Ava's experience became the subject for her thesis, which snowballed into a NYT best-selling memoir. While the book is a success, Ava experiences trepidation about the attention she's receiving. Madi is furious that Ava used their shared experience for 'publicity'.

When Ava leaves Portland to return home to Emerald Creek for the summer, the two sisters clash.

Madi is furious because of the unwanted attention she's receiving because of Ava's book. Ava wants to tell her sister why she agreed to turn her thesis into a novel. Both women are struggling in their love lives. Madi is in love with a certain vet, yet is scared to tell him. Ava and her husband are taking a break, yet it's not what she really wants. Thankfully, their grandmother, who raised the girls, is there to facilitate their coming together.

Will the love they have for each other be enough to overcome hurt feelings? Can they reconcile their past to pave the way for their future?

15 Summers Later is a beautifully written story about tragedy, trauma, overcoming emotional and physical wounds, and finding love.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

15 SUMMERS LATER
On sale June 18/24

Madison Howell is finally enjoying her life. She has opened a no kill shelter for all kinds of animals and will be doing that full time after she leaves her position as a veterinarian technician with her good friend, and a person who once saved her life, veterinarian, Luke. Then her sister writes a memoir about what happened to the two sisters 15 years prior.

Everyone is reading that book and Madison thinks everyone is looking at her different now. The leg brace she has worn for those 15 years never seemed so obvious before. She will forgive Ava, her sister for writing, what has now turned into a bestseller.

Ava has returned home to her grandmother’s house where she and her sister lived after the episode. Ava’s husband has asked for a break because he feels she never trusted him enough to tell her the truth of that time in Ava & Madison’s lives.

Can Ava & Madison resolve their differences? Will Ava get back with her husband? And just what did happen 15 years ago?

This is a story of two sisters and what they had to endure in their younger years. Also what they had to overcome to this day.

Ava Howell seemed to have the perfect life. She married the man of her dreams and wrote a bestselling memoir. Until this memoir brought out the tragedy of the two sister’s lives 15 years ago. Ava never mentioned the deep dark secrets that came out in the memoir. Her husband had a hard time accepting that there were secrets that he hadn’t known. Madi was so upset with her sister that she wrote this memoir and exposed all these secrets to the world. Ava moved back to Emerald Creek, Idaho for the summer from the city. This is where her sister lived. The sisters went through troubled times that summer. It’s a story of sisterly love and affection. The bonds that they had through their life.

Madi is finally happy in her life doing what she always dreamed of. She built the only no-kill shelter in her area. She always has loved animals and they bring her comfort. She’s also in love with the town veterinarian, Dr. Luke Gentry. But she can’t bring herself to tell him that. Will they find love with each other amongst the animals?

With the truth out in the open can the sisters fix the rifts in their lives and reconcile their futures. They must face their demons of their past together.

RaeAnne Thayne’s story is well written and brings you to cheer for each of the sisters. She shows you the bond of family between the two of them throughout the whole story. Also the tribulations they both had to conquer from their past. It has a very human element in it. Loved the interactions of the characters! Very fabulous and realistic characters in the story! So much feeling and emotion throughout. It’s a story that’s unputdownable! You won’t want to miss this one!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers in letting me read this book and allowing me to leave an honest review.

15 Summers Later is about two sisters who survived after escaping a cult in the mountains and years later one of them writes a book and ends up reopening the past . Ava writes about her past for her thesis and it ends up becoming a best seller and in turn strains her relationship with her husband and her sister. Madi has only wanted to put the past behind her and the book keeps bringing it back up. When her sister comes to visit for the summer they slowly start to get along.
This story has a painful past and new beginnings . Raeanne Thayne does a great job with this woman’s fiction .

15 Summers Later is a delightful read that highlights the essence of second chances and the enduring power of friendship and love. The cover may forecast a light, summer read but the book is an endearing, meatier read highlighting family trauma, reconciliation and personal growth.

Sister's Ava and Madi suffered a childhood trauma 15 years ago. When Ava moves back home with her new written memoir describing the events of their childhood she finds Madi wants nothing to do with her. Madi is devasted about the book. Their reunion is bittersweet. As they attempt to remedy the rifts in their lives and reconcile their futures, they must face the demons of their past together.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

A story filled with so much emotion that it cannot but touch your heart. The struggle of sisters having survived a horrendous ordeal in their early teens now grapple with the present and the effect of that time on their lives. One sister wrote a novel about the experience. It becomes a best seller and causes hurtful memories to resurface and anger to grow in the other sister. A budding romance and a marriage in turmoil blend with the story to form a wonderful book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ava Howell never expected to return to Emerald Creek, but fifteen years after the traumatic event that changed her and her sister’s lives. Madison Howell has remained in Emerald Creek after years of healing, and is finally achieving her dream of opening a no-kill shelter. After publishing a memoir about her experiences and falling out with her husband, Ava returns to Emerald Creek for the summer, amidst tensions with her sister she hopes to resolve.

I really enjoyed this family-focused, heartwarming story. The book delivers Hallmark-esque vibes with sweet romance and a small town setting, and is perfect for a feel good read. I’d say the focus is more on the sisters’ relationship over romance, and I really liked that about the book. There is also a lot of focus on animals with Madi’s work at her no-kill shelter, so it’s a wonderful read for animal, especially dog, lovers. Overall, this was a great read perfect to start off the summer!

Thank you to UpLit Reads and RaeAnne Thayne for my gifted copy, as well at NetGalley for my gifted e-copy!

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I’ve read many of RaeAnne Thayne’s books, and this is the best one yet due to its emotional complexity and harrowing tale of survival. Ava and Madi are sisters who, as teens, lost their mother in a car accident and, subsequently, their father to obsession and conspiracy theories. After he moved them to a prepper, survivalist compound in Idaho, their lives took a terrorizing turn, eventually forcing them to flee for their lives. Fast forward fifteen years, and Ava has written a best-selling memoir that throws both their lives into turmoil. Can Madi ever forgive Ava for exposing their startling history to public scrutiny, which forces her to revisit the horror daily, or will Ava lose both the sister and husband she loves?

Although the sister’s story is the central focus, the beautiful friends-to-lovers romance between Madi and Luke and the enduring, but fractured love between Ava and her husband Cullen are beautifully written as integral examples of how these two sisters lived through the worst experience and became strong, successful (on their own terms), kind and loving young women. Animal lovers will enjoy the frequent scenes involving Madi’s rescue animal sanctuary. If you’re looking for a heartwarming, clean romance with complex family relationships and survival against all odds, I highly recommend 15 Summers Later.

Trigger warnings: death, miscarriage, rape (off page), abuse, traumatic brain injury

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Canary Street Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The book cover doesn’t match the story. With that out of the way, the story is set in the mountains. The main characters have experienced trauma at Ghost lake. The main event has touched all of them. After Ava writes a book about the experience, Madison’s dreams become reality. Add in Luke, Sierra, Nicki, Tilly, Cullen, and Leona and a host of animals to round out the story. Lots of emotions felt as the story unfolds.

I love a book about sisters. I’m an only child, so I have always been fascinated by the relationship. Then you throw in a book about a book with a mysterious plot and I was all in.

The cover gives this one a beach read or light vibe, but there are some serious and deeper issues here. The two sisters survived a trauma that will stay with them forever yet also estranged them. They end up back in the same place trying to heal themselves and their relationship. Both sisters have dealt with the trauma in different ways. Ava wrote a book about their trauma while Madison opened an animal shelter (yes there are animals in this one too). I should mention there is also a love story for each of the sisters, but it really does take a back seat to the rest of it (and you’ll be disappointed if you read for just the romance).

There was a little bit of a mystery about exactly what happened during their trauma and that really kept my interest.

It is beautifully written and both heartwarming and heartbreaking at times. The read had emotional moments and there is one event that might be a trigger for some.

Focusing on the emotional relationships in one’s life, I thought the path the sisters followed was captivating.

I clearly enjoy books about sisters because I read a lot of them and RaeAnne Thayne did not disappoint with this book.
Madison runs a no kill shelter while also working at a vet with Dr. Luke. She finds out her sister. Ava has written a book about their tragic childhood, that left her hand and leg permanently deformed, and are an every day reminder of what happened. Now everyone in town is reading her sister‘s book and asking her questions about it and she wants nothing to do with it. Then Ava comes to town and after time they begin to repair their rift, they try to put the past horrors behind them while moving forward. All the characters development was great in this book. I liked everyone. I especially loved the way that Luke’s extended family( mother and sisters) welcomed the girls in. It was so sweet and heartwarming to see. Their grandma was funny and did her best to get the girls together either out in the community or at the shelter when they could concentrate on the dogs. In this book hurts are healed, dogs are rescued, love is found and families come together. It was a heartwarming book and it made me happy but sad that it was over.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.