The Cliff House by RaeAnne Thayne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There is a romance for everyone is The Cliff House. Daisy, Bea and Stella are a family and family sticks together. Turns out at least two have a secret they have not shared. Each of the women have to work to find the happiness they deserve and the journey is very interesting. All a held back by the past and all have to strive to find what they need for the future. A nice interesting story line with great characters and a plot that has both laughter and pain.

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

THE CLIFF HOUSE by RaeAnne Thayne has everything fans will love, with enough surprises to give you more than one book boyfriend to sigh over.

Daisy Davenport McClure and her sister Bea’s childhood had a positive outcome because of their Aunt Stella. She took them in when their mother died of a drug overdose. The trauma before and after their mother’s death affected their entire lives, even though Stella’s love softened the memories.

When Bea’s famous rocker ex-husband is attacked by a crazy fan, he descends upon Cape Sanctuary with his entourage, much to Bea’s annoyance. Oh, she’d love for Cruz to spend time with their daughter, Marisol, but can she avoid him for the month or more he plans to stay? And what about her best friend, Shane, who’s living in her guest house? Is he really just a friend?

Daisy is also overwhelmed since Cruz brought the man who saved his life to Cape Sanctuary with him. Apparently, the gorgeous man who tried to talk to her in the toothpaste aisle at the grocery needs to heal his injury. Gorgeous men don’t try to talk to plain Daisy, ever. Now he’s everywhere she looks, and he seems to know her like no one else can, or should. Will his questions make her run and hide, or will she finally confide in him?

Stella Davenport receives the best 40th birthday present, ever, and she plans to keep this news secret for a while longer – not everyone will be as excited as she is about it. They’d be happy for her, of course, but this news will cause a few ripples among those who love her and will think her insane. And then there’s that college boyfriend she hasn’t seen for twenty years that shows up on her doorstep.

I’ve been a longtime fan of RaeAnne Thayne’s romances, but she surprised me with this book. The style is different. I wasn’t sure I’d like so many point-of-views, but it became addictive. There were a few repetitive moments but not enough to bump me out of the story. I imagine trying to keep repetitiveness down to a minimum is the hardest thing to do as a writer when creating a story with so many characters.

Even though you could consider this a small-town romance, the influx of famous people all in one novel made it glitzy and a bit eccentric and a lot different from Thayne’s previous novels. There’s a rock star and his entourage, several artists, including a documentary filmmaker and photographer, as well as one artist whose real identity is secret, plus a lot of foster children that Stella cared for over the years, and several adorable animals and children to tug at your heart. A bevy of interesting, fun, heart-wrenching, and heartwarming moments await you in one delicious novel.

Those who know me well and love me anyway know that I cannot resist books with artists in them. Add in a photographer and a rock star, and I can’t believe my luck. This novel had many of my favorite themes, including a lost dog who melted my heart. Needless to say, I enjoyed this story very much.

The characters were entertaining, and there were multiple black moments to worry over before the happily-ever-afters. Yes – you read that right, there are several love stories to fret over. I noticed some inconsistencies that could be trimmed up, but I was reading an early advanced copy, so those probably have been fine-tuned before publication. I know this going in when I read an ARC, so even though they may make me bump a bit when I come across them, I don’t lower my rating for things that could easily be remedied when published. I only mention them now as they were the only things that slowed my reading. That’s rare for me.

That means this novel style worked for me and kept me interested. This is the type of book that gets better the more pages you turn. The beginning is entertaining, but with multiple characters it took a bit to keep it all straight in my head. Once I got over that hurdle, I read faster and faster the further I got. I became invested in their lives and hopeful for their future.

Of course, each character has something to overcome to get to their happily-ever-after, and I wasn’t always sure they’d figure it out. That left me unsure enough to wonder if they’d get their act together in time for a happy ending, or whether we’d be left hanging for a sequel. I’m happy to say that the end was wonderful and more than I expected. That doesn’t mean it was easy getting there and that everyone behaved in a way I expected. What would be the fun in that?

RaeAnne Thayne has surpassed her previous success by creating a novel that readers will gobble right up. It’s fun. It’s angsty. And it’s unexpected. Just what the romance doctor ordered. Fans will love it.

A Recommended Read!

Reviewed by Dorine, courtesy of RomanceJunkies.com.

Okay this was not what I expected! I love Thayne's romance but they're definitely a bit on the sweeter side. I mean I always love the characters and they frequently have some pretty significant and darker issues but there's always a touch of sweetness. I guess I was expecting the same here and there's was a bit more edge than I was expecting. I mean the edge was low key and this was definitely heartwarming but I can't even quite explain it. Maybe it was a change of tone? Maybe it was a bit of tension in the relationships? Regardless, I didn't feel quite like I was reading a RaeAnne Thayne. And while I love Thayne's romances I don't mean this is in a negative way at all.



The relationship between the three women is complex. They love each other and are clearly there for each other and are very supportive but they also have secrets that run deep and don't always use their best judgement in trying to protect the other.



I really enjoyed the change of POV as each woman has quite a story to tell. I especially enjoyed the time with Daisy's character as not only did I appreciate her love of logic and order but she also had the most intriguing secrets. Bea could be a bit dense and there were times I wanted to shake her but more in a loving way than an exasperated way. She could be kind of clueless but I could understand where she was coming from so it wasn't to irritating. As well I enjoyed Stella's character evolution as she had spent so much time taking care of everyone else while never focusing on her own wants and desires. It was fun watching all the characters evolve and find their own happiness.



I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Not only are the three main characters likable and realistically flawed but the men who inhabit their lives are as well. These are characters I really liked getting to know and I was sad to see them go as I read the final page. To sum up - RaeAnne Thayne can do no wrong and I will be reading all of her books!

Stella raised Bea and Daisy when their mother- her sister- died. She's just turned 40 and she's got a secret (a good one). Her college love interest is back in town with his daughter. Daisy has a secret too (also a good one). Bea's ex-husband, a rock star, is recuperating in Sanctuary Cove from a knife attack which also seriously injured Gabe, a documentary film maker. These three women are a circle who you will enjoy. Fiercely protective of one another, they also hide things from each other. This touches on foster care but it's really multiple love stories. Oh, and there's several dogs, including Louie, a quite adorable French bulldog. You can guess where this is going but it's a HEA and a second chance romance all in one. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good relaxing read.

RaeAnne Thayne's latest novel is a terrific novel of three women and their journey to find love. Bea and Daisy were taken in by their aunt, Stella, after their mother's death. But in the year before they went to live to Stella, both girls were forever changed by the foster care system. That year away from family changed the lives of all three women in fact and maybe just maybe, twenty years later some of those scars will heal as each finds love and acceptance.
While each of these women do find romance, this book is more about their emotional journey with themselves and one another, making this book fall more into the category of women's fiction that strictly romance. A wonderful read, that had me hooked from page one.

This book was written by one of my favorite authors.
The story line was good, however I felt there was too much going on with the characters. The main story was about two sister's and their aunt, however it broke into separate stories for each of them. This was distracting to me and hard to keep up.
I did give it three stars though because I really enjoyed Daisy's story and the mystery behind her. I also felt that the book had a lot of places that held my interest.


** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review**

You can never go wrong with a RaeAnne Thayne book and The Cliff House is a delightfully emotional story that will leave you feeling inspired. Beautiful characterization drives this heartwarming romance and the writing is amazing. I loved everything about this story and can't recommend it highly enough. This is a must read!

I'm very happy I got this heart warming and entertaining book.
I loved the style of writing, the fleshed out characters and how the author develops the plot and talk about feelings and emotions.
It was a very good reading experience and I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all opinions are mine.

A story of family, sisterhood, and connection deeper than time and distance, a tale of love, hope, and trust, a journey to learn to dare to take the leap of love, jump into the unknown, and trust the soulmate will be there to catch you just when you need it.
There's a lot of living and loving in this story of three women living in a small California coastal town. Ms. Thayne tells stories that go directly to the hearts of the readers. She draws characters that are easy to connect with, to learn to love and care for, to cheer them to live their best life. I loved the message of hope that was the silver lining of the tale, how the ladies used creativity to express themselves, and how dedicated and giving they were regarding the turbulent world of foster care and parenting.
Each of the women was on the threshold of a new chapter in their lives, that included finding the soulmate. There's the second chance with the first love from college days, there's the best friend to lovers romance, and there's the practical sister falling completely and unpractically in love with a man visiting the town. Each romance is sweet, with a touch of angst and turbulence. As it often is the case, in my opinion, with simultaneous romances in one book, and multiple points of views to the tale, none of the couples gets the depth and growth, or the potential development that could have been there. Also, with Bea, her best friend and his girlfriend, and her ex, there's the third - and fourth - person drama in romance that is in general, not for me.
Yet even with these two strikes to my personal wishes or taste in the romance genre, this story had me from the first chapter, it pulled me in and brought all the feels to the surface. There were joy and cheer, passion to life and adoration of the loved ones. I sighed, I teared up, I felt the tension, I felt the loss, the sorrow, the sadness, and also the elation and delight, and most of all the hope, the wish, and trust for the fulfilling future.
An uplifting and inspiring novel that celebrates women, life, love, and family.
A true treasure to read
~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

Review link will go live on 3/18/19

The Cliff House by RaeAnne Thayne is the first book that I have read by her that wasn’t a part of her Haven Point series. Her Haven Point series is what has made Thayne an auto-read author for me. I love her small town contemporary romances and I wanted to see what she would bring to the table when it came to diving into the three lives of three very different women.

Stella, Daisy, and Beatriz had a traumatic period of their lives about 20 years prior to the setting of The Cliff House. All three had come out the other side changed by it. It was fascinating for me to watch the three women come to terms with what happened and the ripple effects for years afterwards. It actually took me about 50 pages to be invested and about 100 pages to be completely wrapped up in it. Once I was there I finished the remainder of The Cliff House in one sitting. I HAD to finish it.

Thayne takes her time setting the stage but the pay off is absolutely worth the build up. It’s actually pretty similar to the healing process. It takes time to face the hurt and even more time to learn how to deal with the hurt. We walk through some of that healing with Stella, Daisy, and Bea. The Cliff House isn’t strictly about healing though. There were some light points in the book to balance out some of the heavy stuff.

I mostly identified with Daisy in this story. I too am the oldest and oldest children seem to be so much more serious than younger siblings. Not only that but Daisy seems like the kind of character who fears good things happening to her because she’s always waiting for the other shoe to drop and balance it back out again. This is very much my brand of anxiety. It isn’t fun and it always makes you feel doubly awful because why can’t you just feel blessed that something good has come your way for once? So yeah, I really identified with her and was cheering loudly from the sidelines for her.

To borrow a line from Shrek: RaeAnne Thayne has an onion in The Cliff House. There are so many layers. Each layer adds flavor to the book. I laughed, I cried, I hurt with the women, and I rejoiced with them too. I berated them for not seeing things the way I (as the reader) do and felt like cheering when they figured it out! In other words, I was emotionally involved in this one folks. Thayne has sealed the deal as an auto-read author for me. I’ll give her writing a shot no matter what she decides to put out there!

This story is about Stella, Bea and Daisy. Stella raised her nieces, Bea and Daisy from the time they were very young in Cape Sanctuary. Bea got pregnant, married and divorced and is now happy with her 11 year old daughter dating an old friend. Her ex husband is now in town upsetting the apple cart. Stella is ready to expand her life now that the girls are older and wiser. Daisy is about to discover that love can be a joy as well as a trial. Stella is raising money for her foster care organization and Bea and Daisy are offering some great ideas. This is a wonderful story about women who are strong and connected. RaeAnne Thayne is one of my favorite authors, her stories are always heartwarming and happy ever after. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A romantic story of three couples who for one reason or another are unable to say, "I love you" for fear of losing a friend, losing control, or admitting they were wrong decades ago. A take of fostering, family, and a French bulldog. Read and enjoy.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sweet novel about family and the love of two sisters for their aunt who raised them. Fairy tale endings for everyone.

Ms. Thayne's books always delight me. She has a knack of providing character and setting descriptions that transport you into the story. You feel a kinship with the characters and understand where they're coming from and what life has in store for them. It's a unique talent and shines in this book.

Stella adopted her nieces as soon as she discovered here sister Jewel had passed. Unfortunately, Bea and Daisy had been put in the Foster system with some disastrous results. It was a long road once Stella got custody of her nieces and there were lifelong ramifications for all of them. Stella gave up the love of her life, Daisy learned to never trust in love, and Bea looked for love in all the wrong places. This is a coming of age story for three magnificently, strong wormen set in a small tourist town in California. It should be a must read for all Rae Anne Thayne fans and a wonderful introduction to a great author if you've never read her books. I was sorry to see the story end as I hated to stop reading! This story hit it out of the ball park for me.

I was provided a free ARC eBook from the Publisher and Net Galley in exchange for my honest comments.

I don't know RaeAnne Thayne personally; if I did, I'd tell her that I want to pull a Mary Poppins and dive into the town of Cape Sanctuary and hang out with the cast of characters she created in her latest novel: The Cliff House. It's a variety of wholesome love stories -- amongst sisters, long lost first loves, best friends, and new acquaintances. The small-town vibe Thayne dreamt up reminded me of Stars Hollow, the town Amy Sherman-Palladino created for the Gilmore Girls TV show. Because readers get chunks of chapters from each of the primary adult characters, this story feels well-rounded and all the characters well-developed. The Cliff House is magnificent and shouldn't be missed!

This novel was a charming contemporary tale of life, love, and romance in a coastal setting with a strong focus on family ties, fostering, and taking risks. As always, Thayne provided a beautifully crafted novel that tugs on the heartstrings with descriptive passages and likeable characters. Elements of adversity, heartache, and stubbornness were perfectly balanced with an abundance of hope, discovery, and heartwarming healing.

A copy of this title was provided via NetGalley with thanks to Harlequin and Ms. Thayne. All thoughts expressed in this review are strictly my own opinion.

This was a very good and easy read. This has become one of my favorite authors and can't wait to read the next one.

Very heartwarming story with lots of love! In true RaeAnne fashion, the story leads to lots of self-reflection for the reader. :) There are quite a few characters in the book...if you like to hear about lots of stories at once, this book is for you!

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

After the death of their mother, Beatriz (Bea) and Daisy spent some time in foster care before being raised by their Aunt Stella. Raising her two nieces at a young age, inspired Stella to go on and be a foster parent and start an organization to raise money for children and families in the foster care system.

Each woman has her own issues in this book. Stella walked away from the man she loved to raise her nieces. She has a fulfilling job as a teacher but wants more. She has a secret and it's a big one. Bea became a young wife and mother. She is divorced after a rocky marriage, but her ex-husband is back and wants to reunite. But Bea doesn't want to reunite as she has her heart set on another man. Daisy is an accountant who is guarded and likes to play by the rules. She also has a secret. But when she meets a man by chance, she realizes that maybe taking a chance or two would be good for her.

There are three romances going on in this book and I was invested in each of them. Typically, with more than one romance, I prefer one over the other but not in this book. I was rooting for all of them. I found their stories to be heartwarming and sweet. The romances and feelings felt real and believable. This was a sweet and rewarding story. Of course, it was a little predictable but the journey to get there was an enjoyable one. I was also happy that nothing in this book felt rushed. My biggest complaint with romance books is that the entire book is filled with longing, angst, witty dialogue, etc. to have the book end abruptly when the couple in question declares their love and they run off to happily ever land. Thankfully, this book, as I mentioned, did not feel rushed. Plus, there was an epilogue when made me a very happy reader.

I also enjoyed the themes in this book - family, relationships, best friends, trust, starting over, motherhood, creativity and hope. I also like how the women are dedicated to the foster care system and giving back. For me this was a feel-good book that did touch on some difficult subjects as well.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Great story! This novel seemed a little different than her other books but it was very enjoyable. Great heartwarming story of two sisters and their aunt. Highly recommended!