From the New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne comes a brand-new novel for fans of Debbie Macomber and Susan Wiggs. RaeAnne Thayne tells the story of an emotional homecoming that brings hope and healing to three generations of women.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 … 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.
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I can always rely on RaeAnne Thayne for a tender, uplifting story–and this one is a great escape during these difficult times.
The Sea Glass Cottage by RaeAnne Thayne has Olivia Harper returning Cape Sanctuary after her mother falls from a ladder and sustaining serious injuries. Juliet Harper likes to be independent, but her surgery will have her out of commission for a couple of months. Plus, Juliet will need assistance raising her fifteen-year-old granddaughter, Caitlin and running the family business, Harper Hill Home & Garden. Juliet is hoping to repair the deep void between herself and Olivia during this time. The three Harper ladies are each keeping secrets from each other. This could be the chance for them to mend rifts, tell truths and become closer as a family. The Sea Glass Cottage involves three generations of Harper ladies: Juliet, Olivia and Caitlin. I thought the story was well-written with developed characters. The book had a good flow which I appreciated. The story alternates point-of-view between Juliet, Olivia, Caitlin and Cooper Vance. I thought The Sea Glass Cottage was a multifaceted novel. The various storylines all work together for one compelling story. Olivia has many fears that keep her from achieving her dreams or having a fulfilling relationship. Juliet is hiding a secret from her family and her best friend, Henry Cragun. Caitlin’s mother died when she was a child. She never told anyone the identity of her father. Caitlin comes up with a plan to find out the identity of her biological father. There is much more which I want you to discover for yourself. I loved the beautiful descriptions of the Sea Glass Cottage and the sea. There are secrets revealed throughout the book which I liked. I was very happy there was an epilogue which nicely wrapped up the book. The Sea Glass Cottage is a complex, moving story about family, secrets, healing, forgiveness, friendship, honesty and love.
The Sea Glass Cottage is a wonderful story that weaves a tale about a family, and its extended family, that crosses and turns and then backs up and comes around again – in a good way! I can’t begin to tell you the story, without giving spoilers and over simplifying, but I can tell you what I liked about it.
Olivia (Liv) leaves Seattle to come home to help take care of her mother after an accident. Her niece Caitlin is there, living with her Mom as Liv’s sister (Natalie) has been dead a long time and Caitlin has been part of their immediate family for many years.
Really, this story is about all three of these characters finding their family unit again – at least to me. They have some bumps and some big hurdles to overcome and the author tells a great story all about that journey. Along the way, friends of the family step in and up to make even deeper connections to these three and some of those roads you never see coming.
My heart broke for Liv as she is dealing with much in her (Seattle) life. Juliet, her mother, was dealing with a lot of baggage herself but as only a daughter could say, she left a LOT unsaid and it affected her relationship to her daughter and granddaughter. And Caitlin; oh boy. She was a very **headstrong* teenager but hey! Weren’t we all at her age?
I guess the big thing for me in this book was that it was about these three women of different generations, finding their way to happiness. There were great guys (I’ll just mention Cooper here!) but they weren’t the main focus of the story. I liked that. Great read. Very heartwarming. And it may make you think of your own family relationships.
Full of secrets. Pulls at your heartstrings! Loved it!
This is the first in a new series. I think there’s a lot of potential for future stories about the people and town of Cape Sanctuary. I enjoyed following the three Harper women as they work through their deep seated family issues. Love, family, friends and forgiveness can heal the wounds. Looking forward to the next in the series.
This was a lovely book , I quickly became engrossed in the storyline, Reanne Thayne manages to write books that encompass elements of familial love and drama, with romance and heartwarming ,feel Good,emotion .
All of the characters were easy to connect with and believable. You could relate to the Feelings each was dealing with and it makes you realise the importance of voicing your worries .
This really was a poignant and beautiful book, I really enjoyed reading it and i I
thoroughly recommend it to anyone who likes Jill shalvis .
Olivia Harper has been settled in Seattle, working in information technology for pay and benefits. Her dream job of social media marketing takes her free time. Recently witnessing a horrible assault at a diner, she was feeling like a coward. She had wanted to be brave like her father, who had given his life saving others. Even though she had called 911, she had hidden from the attacker. About to face her fears and enter a coffee shop, she receives a phone call from her best friend since high school, Melody. Her excitement soon turns into worry. Olivias mother, Juliet, had fallen and was hospitalized. Olivia is upset that Caitlin, her niece being raised by Juliet, hadn’t called her. Juliet is going to need surgery. Her mother needs her but how can Caitlin return to Northern California where memories of her father and sister are. Both are buried there, and remembering brings her guilt and pain
The authors writing winds it’s way around a set of riveting characters. Caitlin and her best friend, Jake. Could they become more than friends? Jake and his father, Henry, visit Juliet in the hospital. Juliet is attracted to Henry but cherishes his friendship, and he’s eight years younger. Does Henry feel the same? And what secret is Juliet keeping? Olivia arrives in town to be with her mother. She runs into Melody’s brother, Cooper. As a teenager she had a crush on him. Cooper remembers Olivia as Little Livie, but she’s not that little girl anymore. Which way will these connections go? Could there be romance ahead? You know the answer to the answer ;-). Read the book.
RaeAnne Thayne’s “The Sea Glass Cottage” was an enjoyable read, reminiscent of one of Debbie Macomber’s or Emily March’s novels. There were a lot of plot threads and characters involved in the story, but everything was woven together nicely and easy to follow. Each of the characters was likeable and well-developed, and their complicated relationships plus the various secrets they kept from each other made for a compelling story.
I particularly enjoyed the book’s overarching themes of healing and forgiveness, as well as how the three generations of Harper women came to better understand each other and how to navigate their complex family dynamics. Juliet, Olivia, and Caitlin were much closer by the end of the book and had learned to relate to each other in new, healthier ways. Their individual journeys were quite interesting as well, and Juliet’s and Olivia’s romances with Henry and Cooper, respectively, added yet another emotional layer to the plot.
In addition to the central story involving the Harper family, I was also drawn into the plot thread involving Cooper’s sister Melody, whose husband had abandoned her and her three young boys a few months earlier. Melody seemed like such a lovely person, and her boys added a bit of fun to the narrative. It would be great to see Melody’s story continue in a future book. She deserves to find love again, and her boys deserve a father figure besides their Uncle Cooper.
Overall, I am pleased to recommend “The Sea Glass Cottage” for anyone who enjoys stories about the complex nature of family relationships and learning how to forgive the ones we love even when it’s a challenge. I look forward to Ms. Thayne’s next book.
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Sea Glass Cottage by RaeAnne Thayne
Olivia Harper returns to her home town of Cape Sanctuary and the Sea Glass Cottage when her mom Juliet Harper falls off a ladder and gets hurt. Olivia and Cooper Vance fight their attraction because she is only there temporary. Until they fall in love and she decides to stay. Juliet does not like to be a patient she wants to be able to do everything she was doing before the accident. which includes taking care of her granddaughter Caitlin and running her own greenhouse. Henry Cragun keeps trying to get Juliet to let them have a relationship. All of the ladies have secrets that come out in the book that make the book a really good read. I totally recommend this book to anyone looking for a book to read. I received a complimentary copy of this book so that I could review it. This book was a real tear jerker but I just didn’t want to put it down.
Enchanting, heartwarming, and touching!
The Sea Glass Cottage is a heartfelt, beguiling story that sweeps you away to the idyllic town of Cape Sanctuary and immerses you into the lives of the Harper family as they confront the past, accept the things they cannot change, repair fractured relationships, take chances, and embrace the future.
The writing is polished and expressive. The characterization is spot on with a whole slew of characters that are relatable, multi-layered, and genuine. And the plot, including all the engaging subplots, skillfully intertwines and unravels into a big-hearted, hopeful tale about life, love, loss, family, secrets, friendship, misunderstandings, romance, contentment, forgiveness, and the importance of communication.
Overall, The Sea Glass Cottage is a compelling, moving, beautifully-written tale that reminds us to always surround ourselves with those we love and live each day to the fullest.
I am happy to be able to participate in the Harlequin Blog Tour for Raynne Thayne’s newest release (March 17, 2020). I stayed up way too late to finish this delightful romance. It left me with the urge to binge-read all her novels.
If you find yourself under a mandated lockdown, self-quarantine, or are just looking for an escape from this scary situation at the moment, The Sea Glass Cottage is the book for you. You will find yourself transported to a quaint little town in Northern California and into the lives of three generations of women who are all trying to find themselves. By the end, you will be smiling from ear to ear and believing in love all over again.
Treat yourself a few hours of clean entertainment while your own kids are getting their reading minutes in during the day.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Harlequin, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
With a beautiful, inviting cover and a setting on the Northern California coast, The Sea Glass Cottage is the latest Cape Sanctuary novel by RaeAnne Thayne. Thayne is a master at creating realistic, colorful, engaging characters and placing them in charming small-town settings. This story focuses on three generations of family—Olivia Harper, her mother Juliet, and her niece Caitlin. All three of them have had past trauma in their lives and each has her own secrets and views of past happenings. Then Cooper, Henry, and Jake are thrown into the mix with more secrets and angst. As they all interact and communicate their feelings and resolve their misconceptions, they find that everything is not as it seemed. Thayne weaves their stories together beautifully with this delicious, satisfying read.
One quote that I especially liked has Henry telling Olivia, “We’re all afraid. The trick is figuring out that the thing you need is just on the other side of that fear. The only way you can reach it is by going right through the center of it.” It was true for the characters in the story, and I think it can definitely be applied in our lives. I’m looking forward to more wonderful stories from this author. 4.5 stars
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Ms. Thayne certainly has a winner with The Sea Glass Cottage. She has delved into many different types of relationships in this book. She explores mother/daughter, big sister’s best friend, man/woman best friend, women’s best friend, extended family and man/woman (just to name a few-ha!). She has somehow taken what appears above to be a royal mess and blended them all into a message of love and forgiveness that certainly resonated with me.
The book was full of secrets–some intentional, some not. The plot flowed well and kept me engrossed in the story. I loved every page of it!
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.
Wonderful imagery, characters, and setting. RayAnne Thayne has created a thought-provoking novel about family, challenges and adapting to change. Returning to Cape Sanctuary, the setting of her novel, The Cliff House, readers are immediately drawn into the emotions of the characters. One feels the fear of Olivia, the helplessness of Juliet, the anger of Caitlin, the calm of Henry, and the challenges of Cooper. I enjoyed the modern details interwoven in the book. DNA testing with a home kit, fit tracker, adopting a rescue dog from a homeless man, kids planting a garden with the fire chief, using social media to promote businesses and events. Fans of Debbie Macomber, Susan Mallery and Kristan Higgins will enjoy delving into Sea Glass Cottage.
I really liked all the characters. They all have secrets and they all feel guilty about something. Olivia and her mother have a strained relationship. All of a sudden, Olivia’s relationship with her niece is strained. When her mother takes a fall and needs help, Olivia goes back home. She says it will be temporary, but she starts to remember all the things she loved about her hometown and kind of forget the reasons she wanted to leave. Cooper couldn’t leave town fast enough, but he came back to help his sister. What he doesn’t bargain for, is a whole new life. Will Olivia stay and will they all let go of the past?
Once again Ms. Thayne has created unforgettable characters in this multi-generational story with other characters that are just as wonderful! I couldn’t put the book down! I was hooked from the very beginning. The author weaves the story lines between all her characters masterfully as each section is the point of view of just one character, although it involves the other characters that THAT character is dealing with at the time. Their thoughts, emotions and actions are laid out for you to read and enjoy until the next section when you get to enjoy another character! I loved it because the story flowed so well as you got to know the innermost thoughts and feelings of each character and how they all intertwined. I wont soon forget this story and when I turned to the last page, I felt a sense of sadness because I really wanted to keep reading about these wonderful people, even though they had found their happiness! A truly fabulous book that I highly recommend!
Sure to warm the heart!!!
Absolute perfection! The Sea Glass Cottage left me teary eyed and with a heart full of love.
RaeAnne Thayne does it again! She masterfully weaves a story full of heart and soul. I fell so in love with this book and these characters. RaeAnne Thayne is able to give her characters the breath of life. They are so real. They have real emotions as they deal with life’s problems. Being with this family as they overcame so much great loss, and found a way to bond and come together, left me feeling overjoyed. This is a truly heartwarming tale.
RaeAnne Thayne is an absolute must read.
The Sea Glass Cottage is a beautiful small town story full of family, friendships, heartaches, healing and love.
I found the characters to be loveable and realistic. I laughed with them and even cried with them.
I highly recommend this wonderful story.
I recieved an ARC and this is my honest opinion.
A charming story about loss and love at any age through illness and hard times.
Filled with joy and fear, it gave me moments of delight and tears of sympathy. Olivia’s journey was both
difficult and wonderful. I loved this book.
Olivia Harper returns to her hometown of Cape Sanctuary after her mom has an accident and needs her help. She hasn’t been home much since she left to go to college, just for short visits. She has an estranged relationship with her mother and her niece doesn’t seem too happy for her to be there either. I liked how each chapter of this book is from a different characters point of view and the setting of Cape Sanctuary on the California coast. Some secrets were revealed that took me by surprise and I was so wrapped up in this story that I didn’t want it to end.