Cover Image: Season of Wonder

Season of Wonder

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Small-town life at it's best! With another book in the ever-popular Haven Point series by RaeAnne Thayne, we meet a new family that is moving to town and trying to settle in after leaving big city life and problems. The family was quick to grab my attention and the turmoil that starts to flow keeps it. Small town life can be a blessing or a curse depending on how well you want to fit in and how many secrets you are hoping don't come out! An enjoyable addition to the series.

When tragedy strikes Dani Capelli's relatively young life yet again, she finds the need to bury her head in the sand and start anew. With her two daughters, this New York native sets out to start over in Haven Point, Idaho with the wonderful position she's been given taking over some of the town veterinarian's duties as he eases into retirement. One rebellious teenager and one clingy six year old make for an interesting mix in this new town.

Deputy sheriff Ruben Morales obiously knows the Capelli's because Dani is working with his dad at the clinic, but he's not sure what to make of them yet. She seems to keep herself separate from the town a lot even though she's supposed to be settling in. When her teenage daughter starts getting into trouble, Ruben is the one to step up with a helping hand. There's more to this family than meets the eye, and he's really starting to like them, so he's making it his mission to make sure they see what a great place Haven Point can be ... especially around Christmas!

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So now that it’s officially fall I’m assuming everyone is ok with me talking about holiday novels all the time, right? Great! (Haha) just wanted to get that out of the way. I have become a huge fan of Thayne’s magical series set in Haven Point and nothing is better than a new book that’s set during Christmas to me. All of her books have a sense of enchantment but this one had a little extra magic that made me feel like a giddy little kid on Christmas Eve.

This book follows Dani and Ruben who have intense chemistry that they’re both trying to ignore, what is it about those storylines that always make me so happy?! They were adorable and then Dani also has two daughters who rounded out the main cast. Little Mia totally stole my heart immediately and while it took me a little longer to warm to her sister Silver, she won me over in the end. As always, this is full of wonderful characters that you learn to know and love and you get to check in with a handful of characters from the previous books as well.

As much as reading in general is my escape from reality when I really want to be swept away I know I can always turn to a Thayne novel. There is something so uncomplicated and easy about her books, I always end up in a happy slightly giddy mood when I’m finished, I think she always restores my faith in humanity a little with each book and for escapism she is one of the best. I’ll follow this series as long as she keeps writing about it, firm fan here!

Season of Wonder in three words: Magical, Sweet and Heartfelt.

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Season of Wonder is the ninth book in RaeAnne Thayne’s Haven Point series, and it’s another wonderful addition to the series. Although it is book nine in the series, it’s a book you can easily enjoy as a standalone novel. I have not read all the Haven Point books, yet I never find myself lost. Sure, you appreciate some side characters, some couples, better if you have read the prior books, but this does not take away from the story being given within Season of Wonder.

You should also note, despite the festive theme – the title, the cover, the time of year in which the story takes place – this book is one that can be enjoyed at any point in the year. The story occurs with a festive backdrop, a backdrop that adds to the effect of the story but does not take away from the tale being told. Therefore, do not feel as though this is a festive only book, as the storyline is enjoyable no matter what point in the year you read it.

Although I would not label Season of Wonder my favourite book in the Haven Point series, it did have all I had hoped for from the series, all the things I have come to enjoy. The series is super sweet, offering up a clean romance story that has a deeper tale to tell. With a bit of drama, a tiny bit of mystery (one that is obvious, but still enjoyable), and plenty of feel-good moment, this one sucks you in deep and leaves you turning the pages at a rapid pace.

Without a doubt, you’ll be wearing a stupid smile on your face as the romance develops between the two characters, and by the end you’ll be desperate for more of the series.

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Season of Wonder is book nine in the Haven Point series. This is one of those books that you just can't stop reading. It has all the feel goods, the emotions, the love, the magic, and I absolutely loved it. I highly recommend it.

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Christmas in Haven Point is delightful! I'm a big fan of RaeAnne Thayne's novels, and always relish the chance to return to one of my favorite fictional communities. Season of Wonder was a sweet, enjoyable read. I appreciated the characters' backstory, particularly Dani's need to establish a life for herself and her daughters apart from her ex-husband's notorious past. Ruben's pursuit of Dani was quite swoon-worthy, especially his ability to relate to both her daughters. Fans of sweet, small-town holiday romance will devour this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary ARC. All opinions stated here are my own.

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RaeAnne Thayne is just one of the best at writing a book that doles out real life problems with heartwarming resolutions. The small town aspect of Season of Wonder and the hunky hero combined with a heroine who fights allowing herself to love, two children trying to adapt to a new life and several dogs thrown in to boot, make this glorious seasonal read a happy place I didn't want to leave!
I could smell the Christmas tree, feel the snow on my face and taste the hot chocolate. All I need is a soft blanket and I can stay forever.

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SEASON OF WONDER by RaeAnne Thayne is a heartwarming tale of finding your place in this world and letting go of the past.

Dani Capelli has moved to the small town of Haven Point with her two daughters and she hopes that it will give them everything they need. A vet, Dani hopes to buy the practice where she is working for the next year and all she wants is a happy, cosy life for her family. But her eldest daughter doesn't seem to be settling well and their handsome next-door neighbour, who happens to be a cop, seems a little too interested in their lives. And no matter how much Dani may like him, the last thing she needs is a cop who may discover her secret from the past.

With a stunning setting and a community of loveable characters, SEASON OF WONDER by RaeAnne Thayne comes alive in your hands as you turn the page. Dani is a great character who is tough and strong for her family and someone who you will care for immediately. I desperately wanted Dani to open up to Ruben but as we learn more about their story, her motives become clearer.

There is family, friendship, and the importance of letting go of the past and forgiveness throughout SEASON OF WONDER, and that extra element of magic that is synonymous with RaeAnne Thayne's books. A must-read for fans of festive reads with added heart.

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This is a beautifully written story about Daniella (Dani) Capelli and her two children, Silver (13) and Mia (6), who move from the east coast to Haven Point, Idaho to start a new life. Dani, now a veterinarian, accepted a job offer interning for a vet for a year to see if the move and the job are a good fit for her. The clinic’s owner, Frank Morales, with Dani there, has cut his hours way back and will be retiring for good in a year. His son, Ruben, lives next door to Dani at Haven Point Lake. He is taken in by the three of them and helps out whenever he can. Dani is guarded and due to her now deceased ex-husband, Tommy’s past criminal history, has no intention of looking toward a bright future. Set during the holiday season, I was drawn in by Ruben, whose care and kind ways brought tears to Dani’s and my eyes. The mystery of vandalism and theft that occurs adds suspense to the mix. This is an exceptional read, and I highly recommend it. Season of Wonder can easily be read as a stand alone.

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Sweet story about starting over. Sometimes life takes us to unexpected places, even small towns that pull you in and make you part of their community without asking.

Dani needed to make a change for herself and her daughters. When she is offered an opportunity to relocate her family she jumps at the chance. The offer may be too good to be true but this chance to change their lives

Ruben has lived in this town his whole life. As the sheriff, he is responsible for keeping the peace and investigating problems. Ruben likes what he sees in the new arrival but there is something suspicious about one of her daughters.

Can they overcome legal troubles and secrets or will they let the challenges prevent them from making a family?

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This was a cute holiday read with so much emotion. Not only from the single mom, but the 'troubled' teen. Trying to run and hide from your past is difficult, it will always come back to bite you. How you handle it is what is important. Dani has always been alone, will she learn to accept help?

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3.5 stars
Dani is a divorced mother with two girls - one a problematic but loveable thirteen year old, the other a delightful six year old.
Dani is an intern vet, she has made her way through school, and now has a sizeable debt loan to prove it.
She has a history of an ex husband, whom she'd rather keep quiet about.
She might have some feelings of guilt because of all the hours she has had to put into study and work and perhaps the girls have missed out, but that hasn't stopped her from being a good Mom, with boundaries.
Her own upbringing was marred by a lack of parents.
She just might have feelings of attraction for the handsome, kind, thoughtful guy next door, son of her veterinary boss. To say nothing of the warm, friendly family he belongs to.
Seasons of Wonder is about the spirit of Christmas ( I loved the Secret Santa idea) and the spirit of family and of love and belief.

It's a heartwarming and lovely story very suitable for the holiday season.

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Great story that felt as if I was one of the characters. Thank you RaeAnne, publishers and NetGalley for a wonderful story.

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RaeAnne’s Haven Point Series of books have become one of my favorite series. I love the small tight-knit community where everyone is neighborly - or almost everyone! When you read a series like the Haven Point Series, you come to know the people and they become like friends. You feel like you could purchase a house down the road and move right in. This is Haven Point.

In Season of Wonder, RaeAnn adds two children just trying to fit in and a mom who is desperately trying to keep their past from seeping into their new life. But, the more secrets we keep, the more tales we tell. Time will tell in this story as we wonder if the cop next door and the new veterinarian in town will be able to work together and just possibly fall in love.  

I have read all of this series and I am hoping that there are a few more on the way. Definitely pick this book up and a few others if you haven’t already read them. This will be a great addition for the fire-side evenings coming soon.

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Dani gets a second chance for herself and her two daughters when she accepts a veterinarian job in a small Idaho town. She hopes to put the ugliness of her past behind and settle in to Haven Point, but fear of having her past discovered keeps her distant and reserved with residents who would otherwise welcome her and her girls. When thirteen-year-old Silver gets in a little trouble, their Sheriff’s deputy neighbor, Ruben Morales, comes up with a plan for Silver to make amends without legal trouble. Aside from the fact that Ruben's plan has Dani spending too much time with the handsome deputy she's attracted to but absolutely can’t get involved with, it’s a great plan.

This author won me over long ago with her Cricket Creek series, so I was eager to read an advance copy of the newest Haven Point book. I know I can count on her for sweet, uplifting, heart felt romance and this book was every bit as good as I had anticipated. The small-town setting charmed me and the storyline captivated me. The secondary characters warmed my heart but the main characters stole it. If you’re looking for a wholesome romance with a little humor and a lot of heart, you’ll love this wonderful feel-good read!

*I reviewed this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.

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This is a wonderful small town contemporary romance set in the quaint town of Haven Point, Idaho. It is book nine in the Haven Point series but it is easily read standalone. Dani Capelli is a strong determined female character that has come to Haven Point for two reasons. First to complete her veterinarian internship and secondly to give herself and her two daughters a fresh start. She desperate to put their past behind them and keep it quiet. If she were looking for a man Deputy Ruben Morales would be just the type she would be searching for but a man is not in her immediate future and she needs to keep the good deputy at arms length. That's easier said than done when the magic of Haven Point and the season start to cause all the walls she built up around her to slowly crumble. Will the past rip away any chance of a happy future for this family?

The story, writing, and characters make this a book not to be missed. I highly recommend it.

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Dani Capelli has come to Haven Point to start over but lives in fear that her past will drag her and her children down. I liked Dani's background. She worked hard to first get a college degree and then to go to school to be a vet. This has all the elements of a good romance. Our hero, Ruben Morales, is Dani's next door neighbor. He is a police officer and attracted to Dani. The two start to get close when Dani's fear of her past makes her back off. Ruben just does not give up. Add a teenager and a six year old to the mix and you have more possibilities for action. Good addition to the series.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

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Dani is a single Mother looking for a fresh start. She and her 2 daughters move to Haven Point. Dani will be doing an internship with the local vet. When her daughter Silver starts to act out, Deputy Sheriff Ruben Morales steps in to help. Dani has a secret that could destroy the new life she has created.

This is a sweet romance. It is part of a series but could be read alone. You will love the little town of Haven Point. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

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Running from her past and wanting a better future for her daughters, Dani Capelli jumps at the chance to move away from the big city to work at a veterinary clinic with the option to buy after her first year. Life is finally starting to turn around for her little family, but the gorgeous cop next door and the trouble her teenage daughter keeps finding are definitely putting a glitch in her plans. Struggling to keep it all together, resist her new next-door neighbor, and keep her daughter from getting into more trouble, Dani must come to terms with her own worth or risk losing it all.

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Dani and her two daughters, 13 year old Silver and 6 year old Mia have relocated from Boston with Dani’s graduation from vet school to partner with Dr. Morales and start their new life. Divorced after eight years with a ‘baby mobster wanna-be’, Dani changed her life, her residence and her and her daughter’s names to escape the taint that her now-dead ex-husband’s name would bring – as not long after they arrived in Haven Point, he went down in a ‘blaze of glory’ killing 3 people, one a police officer, during a botched bank robbery that made national news. While Dani has zero to be ashamed about – her marriage was her own immature effort to bring a sense of family back into her life, one that she lost when her mother died when she was a child and thrust into the foster care system. But, Tommy was in and out of prison, with his mother the only person who actually believed, and refused to see sense, where her son was concerned. Working multiple jobs, going to school (and then vet school) taking loans, scrimping and saving – she’s graduated and a correspondence with a visiting lecturer brought her an offer to work in the clinic at Haven Point, with an eye to taking over the practice when the current vet, Dr. Morales retired fully.

Dani’s new start comes with a small house, perfect for her and the girls, and a ton of challenges. Having experienced everything being yanked out from under her, repeatedly, as a child, she’s not interested in allowing herself to feel ‘too comfortable’ in this place, always waiting for the next shoe to drop. When you add in her daughter Silver and her being caught vandalizing properties in town, her change in both behavior and attitude, difficulty fitting in and the general ‘teenagerness’ of her behavior – Dani is quickly running out of ideas to bring her daughter back. On the other hand, her bright, chirpy and outgoing younger child Mia is withdrawn, painfully shy with everyone but Dani, and seems to have lost some of her spark. With a neighbor being both a Sherriff and the son of her boss, not to mention insanely attractive and friendly, and just a bit too observant for her liking, nothing could be worse than having Silver returned to home with him, after vandalizing his new boat. EVERYTHING is wrong with this situation: Dani’s shame for her daughter’s behavior and worry that it is the first in a long slide into her felon-father’s footsteps, Mia’s apparent fascination with the man, his obvious careful consideration and ‘sizing up’ of her every reaction, and the unexpected, yet wholly understanding way he approaches Silver’s bad behavior and offers options for her to ‘make things right’, showing both Dani and Silver that mistakes happen, it’s how you learn from them while working to rectify the issues.

From the first moment to the last, it’s a struggle for Dani to keep her remove with Reuben, while he’s constantly hoping to get ‘more’ from her: trust, conversation, smiles, and yes, kisses. He’s trying to pull Dani and the girls into the community – you don’t relocate from the big city to a small town to stay apart from everyone and everything – but he also sees that Dani’s reluctance to ‘join’ is rooted in her own insecurities and hurt – and he’s determined to give her every option to share what’s hurt her, in hopes that something new can come from it. With the acceptance from Mia and Silver, his parents and siblings, and a dramatic show-down with Silver at the center, it slowly becomes apparent to Dani that Reuben offers her everything she longs for, and trusting him and in the goodness and kindness of the people in Haven Point is her best option. A sweet second chance at family and love story, full of some adorable moments.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-a1z/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

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A heartwarming, feelgood, sweet and adorable romance story set during the holidays that induced many smiles.
The Christmas season is part of the story yet set at the background, so it didn't bother me to read holiday romance this early in the year. The romance story is filled with love and adoration with no physical lovemaking on the pages of the book. And yes, the book is part of a series but easily to be read as a stand-alone story.
The characters are engaging and easy to like and relate to. Dani Capelli hasn't had an easy life, but she has made the most of it, accomplished great things in her life, and as a smalltown vet, she has been able to build a life to her daughters that many in her situation couldn't have. Dani can come off as a little distant, even prickly at times, hiding her past that she feels ashamed of, choices she had made in the past better not shared with the people in Haven Point to spare herself and her daughters from the judgment and blame.
Dani's daughters are delightful, a sweet bit of sunshine six years old and on the verge of a teenage angst thirteen years old, who gets into trouble bringing the deputy sheriff on their doorsteps.
Deputy sheriff Ruben is a solid man, a kind and generous neighbor, who has had his admiring eye on Dani ever since she moved into the town. The chemistry and attraction between Dani and Ruben is a tangible force, like a live wire in between them, yet Dani's past press her to keep Ruben at the arm's length, even when the whole Capelli family falls for him head over the heels.
The story is warmhearted and endearing, with the dash of teenage angst and the difficulties and temptations youth get into while trying to fit in and make friends in a new town. The story is well written, with a natural flow and charm that you can count on Ms. Thayne's books.
A great, entertaining and uplifting kickoff for the holiday readings this year
~ Four Spoons

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