Rachael Connor has great looks, money and a home of her own, but childhood abuse has left her fearful of men.When Rachael meets Matthew, she begins to rethink her life. He falls in love with her, but Rachael rebukes him, living by the “rules” her father taught her.She soon has an epiphany about how to overcome her father’s grip on her life. The next time she falls in love, she will know how to … will know how to deal with it.
But will Matthew let her get away so easily?
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Sea Cliff is a very appropriate title for this book. Not only is Mary Deal’s story about a beautiful area in San Francisco named Sea Cliff, but it’s also the way to describe the main character’s emotions as she struggled with overcoming a haunting past and accepting love for a promising future. I’ve read many of Deal’s books before, and even though I don’t usually read in the love / romance genre, I read this one because the author is just that good of a writer. It did not disappoint on any level.
Main character, Rachael, is an author who finds inspiration in Matthew, a handsome guy she meets in a park. At first, she’s hesitant because he’s too forward and overly interested. She suspects ulterior motives, but pushes herself to extend her boundaries. She’s been emotionally and physically abused in the past which has left her unable to trust others. She lost both her parents, has a difficult relationship with her brother, and isn’t able to keep friendships all because of this pain. But life’s not all bad… she’s published two books, she’s inherited some money and a house, and she is starting to open up. As the story progresses, she lets Matthew in but not consistently enough resulting in several moments and interactions that leave them both uncertain of their future. After an emotional and turbulent event changes the course of their relationship for a few months, readers are never certain how it all might end up.
I daresay this isn’t a typical romance novel. While there are definitely large chapters and chunks of the book focused on the growing romance and subsequent roadblocks, it’s more a study in the life of a woman over the course of about 18 months as she goes through many changes to accept herself. There are several romantic scenes, but it’s not a huge piece of the action. It’s more of an emotional and psychological tale where we see the ebbs and flows of Rachael’s ability to open up. As she meets new characters and takes on bigger roles in her career, we see confidence and pain emerge. She struggling, and we root for her, which makes the story easy to read.
Deal is a very talented writer who can evoke emotion from her readers. I don’t want to give away too much more, but there’s a climactic event that truly tests Rachael (and Matthew) where as readers, we can’t decide what to feel or think… and we want to grab hold of someone and shake them for what they’ve done… but ultimately, we might be misunderstanding what’s really going on. There’s a little bit of suspense, a hint of ‘coming of age’ although Rachael’s already a fully grown adult, and a gripping saga about how to move on from damages. Deal pushes readers to explore how they’d react in some tough situations, then provides a calm relief where things seem to be okay. Only they’re not… and it takes a lot more to overcome something we didn’t realize was so powerful in the past.
Although I’m still not sure romance books are a go-to genre for me, Deal’s writing and style makes this a much more genre-crossing story for me that I’d be open to sampling a few others who tread the water in this realm. I’m thrilled with this book and the fact that I devoured it on a 3-hour train ride should show how true it is. I never wanted to put it down nor did I get bored of any plot or setting which I’d been worried about purely because of it being a non-norm genre for me. I should’ve known better… the genre might spook me a bit, but the author consistently delivers no matter what she writes. If you’re read her work before, but don’t read in this genre, it’s got props and strength – very worth the read. If you love romance and like a little extra, give this one a shot. It’s full of depth and hope, sorrow and worry… but the ups and downs the characters go thru are worth it. Solid read… definitely recommended.
Sea Cliff : by Mary Deal
The beautiful Rachael Connor appears to have it all: good looks, money and a beautiful home called Sea Cliff, but despite outer appearances, she is hiding something. Her domineering father has left her scarred in more ways than one. She has a huge hang-up regarding relationships and isn’t prepared to throw herself at the first man to cross her threshold.
When Rachael meets Mathew, she believes he could be “the one” but the good looking builder also has a past and Rachael becomes embroiled in it.
Due to her father’s strict rules and constant preaching about saving herself for marriage, Rachael spends the entire novel edging towards him and then backing away. One step forward and three steps back. At times I wanted to scream at her: “He loves you, damn it! Just go for it!” but I realised it was her abusive childhood upbringing that held her back. Her fears and past rejection constantly playing on her mind.
Rachael’s hang-ups are so well documented that I found it hard to believe this was pure fiction. Throw an arrogant brother with problems of his own into the mix and you know you are in for a good read; one that you shouldn’t miss out on.
Sea Cliff is the story of child abuse survivor Rachel Connor. Rachel is also an author working on a new book. The story she is writing revolves around a female character who shares many of Rachel’s history including abuse and emotional scars. Without having had a personal experience with men and relationships, her male character is based on a man she regularly sees at the park where she like to spend her time writing. The problem is, this man, Matthew, has noticed Rachel, and she feels as though he is hitting on her. Something Rachel is not comfortable with.
As the weeks and months go by, Rachel and Matthew become more than just acquaintances, but can their relationship withstand Rachel’s past? Will Rachel’s novel become the success she hopes for and will it help heal her scars?
Sea Cliff is a well written and touching story with some interesting turns, and I wasn’t always sure where the story was going.
I do have to say I couldn’t get stuck into this book as I have with other stories by this author. It is a good story and the pace was fine, but there were times where it didn’t hold my attention. And yet other times I wanted to find out what happened next.
In any case, if you do like a nice story with a happy ending this is a good read.
Mary Deal’s mysteries absorbed me. Another of her books gave me a sense of sea animals I never had before, it being fiction, but thrilling nonetheless. In Sea Cliff she has created a love story which absorbs, thrills, frustrates, but I won’t tell you how it ends. Suffice it to say that Rachel and Matthew are two beautiful people with pasts which have measurable impact on their romance. Mary’s characterization of Rachel leaves the reader wondering if she lived some of the troubles attributed to the character? One small portion of the book struck me as being pure Mary Deal, that being frustration felt by Rachel over an interruption in her writing. Every author puts something of themselves in each book they write. It is not possible to avoid doing so. It may be an attitude or an action, or a thought process, no matter it is there. Reading more than one of Mary’s novels gives one the impression she has shown her readers many things about her life in the guise of her characters. This story is well constructed, maintains flow, allows the characters to weave through its threads seamlessly. Any reader will enjoy no matter their age. A tour de force from Mary Deal.