To start off with, I cannot believe that I’ve never read a book by RaeAnne Thayne before now! Her writing and storytelling are right up my alley. I learned after reading this book that it is the second in a series. It definitely stands on its own.

The Path to Sunshine Cove takes us to the gorgeous coast and small town in the American North West. Eleanor hires Jess’s company to help her with decluttering a house that in itself is a family heirloom. There are generations of items in every room of the house and garage.

Jess arrives in her Airstream for the work to begin. At first Eleanor's son, Nate, is suspicious when he finds a strange Airstream parked beside his mother's house but comes around when his mother clears the confusion. Nate has a 13-year-old daughter named Sophie. They are both learning that being a teenaged girl is tough. This is the age when they are wanting more independence and starting to learn the real truths about their lives.

Jess’s sister, Rachel, is also living in Cape Sanctuary. Rachel has found success in marrying her high school sweetheart and becoming a lifestyle blogger and influencer. Her life is “picture perfect”. The women used to be very close but now the relationship is strained. Jess picks up that Rachel's life all round seems strained - what is going on there? The two women have a past that is tough and still impacts their lives.

A lot of relationships in this book are going through some kind of crisis. Can Rachel and Jess repair past damages? Will Nate and Sophie communicate better? Why is Jess always running?

4.5 Stars - Rounding to 5 for Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book. All opinions shared here are my own.

What an absolutely charming little novel!

I had no idea this was the second book in a series, and this played no impact on me as a read, so in other words, it could certainly function as a standalone novel. Feel free to dive right in!

RaeAnne Thayne worked wonders with sneaking little bits of curiosity into the storyline between Jess and Rachel- so much so it made me continue reading and reading, chapter after chapter, until I was finished in one sitting!

The connection that Jess makes with Nate's mother, the client that brings Jess to Cape Sanctuary is just about as beautiful as a California sunset.

Of course Jess's work with Nate's daughter, and her own nieces and nephews just seal the deal for this charming novel!

I highly recommend it if you are looking for that springy, sweet cheerful, make you feel like there's good in the world novel.

Sometimes you just need a comforting read, a book that you curl up with at the end of hard day. RaeAnne Thayne's new novel, The Path to Sunshine Cove, perfectly fits that bill.

The setting is Cape Sanctuary, a California coast town "defined by whimsical houses, overflowing gardens, wind chimes, and Japanese fishing balls." Jess is in Cape Sanctuary for work; she travels the country helping people clean out and reorganize their homes. Her task is to help Eleanor, a woman who lost her husband six months ago, and now wants to downsize her beautiful home.

Eleanor's adult son Nate and his teenage daughter Sophie live in a home on the property and are taken by surprise when Jess shows up in cute little Airstream trailer to help Eleanor. Nate is gruff with Jess, and not happy to be blindsided by her presence.

Jess will also visit with her sister Rachel, something that doesn't occur too often. Jess unexpectedly shows up at Rachel's home, just as Rachel is dealing with two young daughters and her three year-old son, who is on the autism spectrum and having a bad day.

We are given clues that something traumatic happened to Jess and Rachel, and that incident caused the two sisters to become estranged after the death of their parents. Jess joined the army and served in the Middle East, and Rachel married her high school boyfriend Cody and started her family.

Rachel is an Instagram influencer, and projects a happy, wonderful life to the world. But her son's diagnosis and husband's consuming job as a construction company owner has been causing her stress she is unwilling to admit to anyone, particularly her sister.

Jess is a loner, with only one close friend, her fellow soldier and business partner. She finds herself attracted to Nate, and enjoys the company of his mother and daughter, but is wary of becoming more involved with the family.

Thayne does a wonderful job with the sibling relationship between Jess and Rachel, and the marital relationship with Rachel and Cody. Cody wants to help Rachel, and he is a good father to his children, but Rachel can be too rigid and it could drive him away. I think many women may be able to see some of themselves in Rachel.

You know what you are going to get in a RaeAnne Thayne novel- characters you care about, in situations that you can relate to (and some you thankfully can't), in a beautiful setting. I enjoy learning about other people's jobs, and I found Jess' career going into people's homes and helping them organize fascinating. I have a friend who is so good at this, all she needs is an Airstream trailer.

Jess loves her vagabond life, traveling from job to job in her Airstream trailer. Then, while visiting her sister's family, Jess meets Nate and starts imagining a different future. Can she find the courage to commit to love?

I fell in love with all the characters in this book. There's such a strong sense of family, of well-meaning people struggling with the challenges of life. It's smart, heartwarming, romantic women's fiction,

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This was such a beautiful story. RaeAnne captures the beauty of this small town perfectly. As Florida girl stories that take place on the coast of a beautiful beach have my heart.

RaeAnne did a beautiful job with the characters of this book. I loved how she wrote about the two sisters. They were polar opposites and yet they completed each other.

We have Rachel a mother trying to live the perfect life she puts on Instagram. However, it's tough because life isn't perfect. Neither are people so when Rachel's picture-perfect life starts to crumble she is lost.

Then there is Jess Rachel's sister. She is an independent woman who has closed herself off to love and connection. She is terrified of becoming like their mother. So she goes to the extreme by not allowing anyone in.

Then you have Nate a single dad trying to raise a teenage daughter and care for his aging mother. He is a good guy much like Rachel's husband Cody.

When the sister reunite they not only have to heal the wounds of the past and the damage their parents did to them. They also must learn that life is messy, imperfect, and wonderful. Together they begin to heal the wounds of the past and find happiness in the life they have created. They also find that love doesn't have to perfect it just needs to be unconditional.

This was a beautiful story of love, sisterhood, healing, and finding happiness in an imperfect world. I fell madly in love with this book.

Jessica Clayton returns to a small town where her sister now lives, but for a work project. She parks her Airstream and is there for work, but glad for a few moments with her sister and her kids and husband. Her sister, Rachel is trying to create the perfect life online, but it is impeding on the joy in her real life. Each sister will hopefully learn a life lesson or two from each other in the short time they are together.

I think my favorite books of RaeAnne Thayne are her stand alone books where she really concentrates on the plot and the story of the characters in this one book instead of making sure they fit into the world of a series. I also love that RaeAnne Thayne doesn't sacrifice character development or plot to sexy scenes and instead those seamlessly fit in around the story - if there are any at all (can't even remember them in this one!)

I read this book in two sittings because I loved both Jessica and Rachel and wanted to find out where these two would end up and how they would get there. I loved reading about their childhoods and how each responded in very different ways and how that shaped them as adults. I don't want to even hint as the reveal of those details came at such an interesting time in the book and I am so glad I found it out when the character told their story.

I was a fan of RaeAnne Thayne before this one and will continue after this book. She writes great women (and men) that are going through life and having honest experiences.

Over the past few years I've become of fan of RaeAnne Thayne's novels, and I usually love them, but as this novel opened, I feared that I wouldn't love this one for several reasons, which I'll get to, but true to form for Ms. Thayne, despite my initial trepidation, I ended up loving it, and it's get 5 stars from this reader.

One true thing about RaeAnne Thayne's novels is their sense of place, and that was the case with Cape Sanctuary, and within it, Sunshine Cove, the setting of this novel. A lovely, small, northern California, coastal town. It's where we meet our heroine, Jess Clayton, who is just arriving in town, with her Airstream trailer in tow. She is one half of the successful and growing business known as Transitions, an expert in helping people downsize their homes, rid them of the accumulated clutter of years, and help them decide what to save, keep, sell or donate, and it's a job she loves, but it's also one that prevents her from dating or forming lasting relationships, and oddly enough, she's okay with that.

Her new client is 70-year-old Eleanor Whitaker, whose family has occupied Whitaker House in Sunshine Cove for generations. Her beloved husband, Jack, passed away 6 months earlier, and she doesn't want to leave generations of clutter for her adult son, Nathanial (Nate), a widower, who also lives on the property in a smaller version of Whitaker House, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Sophie. It's Nate, the hero, who first greets Jess, and although he is every easy on the eyes, he's also surly, nasty and not at all welcoming to Jess, and that's because his mother never bothered to tell him about hiring Jess, and although Eleanor finally arrives home with Sophie, and explains her plan to her son, he is still leery of Jess and her intentions, but settle in, that's going to change in a major way.

Adding to the uncomfortable opening, we learn that one of the main reasons Jess took on this particular job is that her sister, Rachel, also lives in Cape Sanctuary, along with her husband and three children, the youngest of whom has recently been diagnosed as on the autism spectrum. Both sisters had a rough and tragic upbringing, some of it spent as wards of the state, some in foster homes, Rachel eventually being adopted, and Jess aging out of the system, and as a result they have grown apart, and both carry plenty of emotional baggage behind them.

At first I had a hard time deciding whether or not I liked any of the characters as they were introduced. Jess was almost too closed-up and independent, Nate was nasty and overbearing, his teenage daughter was rude to him, and Rachel was harried, overwhelmed, snarky to both her husband and Jess, and I really wondered if I was going to get through this angst-laden novel and it's initially unlikeable characters at all, but true to form, Ms. Thayne worked her literary magic, and I ended up entirely loving this novel and it's complex and troubled characters.

If you're looking for angst and drama, this novel has it in spades--sister drama, spouse drama, child drama, sibling drama, parent drama, health drama, marriage drama, alienation, and grief, yet out of all the pain, misunderstandings, troubled history, remorse, regret and pain, Ms. Thayne has woven a story that will grab you by the heartstrings and not let go. This is perhaps her most intensely personal novel to date, the one with the most complex and well-developed characters, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions stated are my own.

Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Path to Sunshine Cove by RaeAnne Thayne.

This is a sweet book set in a beautiful Northern California coastal town, Cape Sanctuary. While it's the second book in the series, you don't need to read the first. I didn't and honestly can't even guess who the first book would have been written about.

Jess travels around helping people downsize with her business Transitions. When she is given the opportunity for a job in the town her sister lives she sees it as a great opportunity. Will this time give them a chance to repair their strained relationship? What else will Jess find in this cute seaside town?

I enjoyed reading this, it was cute, loved the town and it is a perfect escape book.

This is the second book in the series, but I don’t feel like I was missing anything not having read the first one, so I think it stands alone just fine.
It follows Jess, whose a strong independent woman who grew up in foster care after trauma took her parents and her sister was fostered by a loving family. Her sister is highly determined to make her life Instagram perfect, even though she has a insanely busy husband, 2 daughters and a son whose just gotten diagnosed on the Spectrum.
Jess has a business that helps people clear out the clutter in their homes, and she gets a job in her sisters home town, so she takes it in hopes that she can spend more time with her and the kids, and in the process help strengthen their relationship again. As well, she bonds with the woman who she is working with and her son and granddaughter.
This is a contemporary woman/chick lit type of book with family drama and a sweet love story with very mild steam. It was kinda cool that when she retired from the military she got an airstream to live in so she could travel the country for her job. I liked how strong and independent both Jess and her sister were, but they were able to break down each other’s walls. Makes you feel good when reading it. It would make a great beach read.
Publication date: March 30, 2021
Thanks to Berkeley publishing and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.

This was a beautiful story with a setting that I thoroughly enjoyed! Oh my, I want to visit Sunshine Cove now! The ocean views, and the people that live there sound amazing! This is book 2 in the series “Cape Sanctuary”, but if you haven’t read book one, do not worry! I think you’ll be completely fine, this can be read as a stand-alone.

The characters are wonderful and easy to connect with. They feel so real, they could be your actual friends. Jess and Rachel are sisters separated from each other in their teenage years. Sunshine Cove provides an opportunity for the two of them to reconnect, and it’s an absolutely lovely story!

The story provides a balm for your heart bringing sisters back together, and giving you some sweet beachy romance as well. It’s got a great story of family relationships, and overall, it was just wonderful!

Readers that enjoy stories of family and reconnection will enjoy this one! This is the perfect story to read, well, really anytime, but sitting in a beach chair listening to the ocean waves would be absolutely ideal! Now I just need an ocean!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

I love RaeAnne Thayne books!
But this one just didn't hit me like her others have.
Jess and Nate talk about their chemistry and it's sweet but there's only a few kisses in the book.
The real relationship in the story is between Jess an her sister Rachel. In fact, I think the book was more focused on Rachel's life than Jess. And that was terrific EXCEPT I have a huge issue that Rachel (who is displaying classic anxiety symptoms) didn't ask for or seek out help. She shows up at Jess's after a sleepless night and everything is cured. That just ticks me off!
The hardest word to say is "HELP". I think it was a missed opportunity.
Having said that, I'm still anxious to read Ms. Thayne's next book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The story is a unique look at the effects of finding your place in the world while trying to heal yourself from the effects of a poor upbringing. This author pulls out all of the stops when it comes to bringing in the emotion and creating the perfect essence of building those family ties.

I swore that I had read a book by Thayne before. After all, she has published a massive amount of books. However, this is the first one as far as I can tell. This story is such a treat. I was enamored by her descriptions of the perfect home and town. I so just want to pack up and move there!

Her characters are strong and likeable and you can see yourself in so many of the situations! And Nate? OMG What an awesome balance for Jess in both strength and compassion. I loved the slow burn that builds along with the careful development of the family connection from his family.

Thayne has crafted a delightful yet compassionate story full of family trials and tribulations, small town character, and sweet love, all tied up in a bow. She gets under your skin with her emotional storytelling that cracks your heart just a bit. Such a great find in this story! Definitely reading her again!

Jess Clayton is a partner in a thriving business that helps homeowners declutter and get their spaces and lives re-organized. It’s the perfect career for a veteran with a wanderlust mindset and no place to really call home. The book begins with Jess taking a job at a beautiful estate on the California coast, hired by a widower, Eleanor Whitaker, who’s decided it’s time to clear out her husband’s belongings and ready the home for possible sale. Jess is immediately drawn to Eleanor’s kind energy and is eager to help her, but she also has an ulterior motive—confronting her past. Continue.....https://booksuplift.com/path-to-sunshine-cove/

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. Another great story from RaeAnne Thayne. She tells such wonderful stories about families and their struggles. This particular family (two sisters) that were forced apart and then grew further apart really have to work hard to mend their relationship to re-bond with each other. There could not be two more different sisters in their ideology which makes it a tough road to become friends and loving sisters again. Throw in a marriage on the rocks and a new love and you have all of the makings for a "happy ever after" story. I also like how Ms. Thayne touches on the world of autism and how it can affect relationships. This is the second book in the Cape Sanctuary series, but it can easily stand on it's own, so much so, that I didn't even realize it was part two of the series until I was finished it. No matter how you look at it, this book is a great read!!!

Jessica Clayton loves her career where she helps others who want to downsize their homes and where she does not have to set down any permanent roots. Then she has a client, Eleanor Whitaker, who leads her to Cape Sanctuary - where her estranged sister, Rachel, resides.
Rachel is all about keeping a perfect life even while she tries to cope with having a child with autism. She married her childhood love, a good man, but things between them are shaky. So when her sister Jessica comes into town, though Rachel needs her help, she isn't prepared to open up right away.
Nate is the father of a teenager who hasn't dated in years but he feels a pull when he meets Jess and isn't sure if he's ready for a steady relationship.
I've read this author before and I absolutely love her story telling! I could feel my feet in the sand at the beach. I loved so much about this story - the setting, the characters struggles. The author did a good job of making me understand each of the pain. The minor characters as well pulled on my heart strings. Eleanor was a dear and her storyline warmed my heart. I loved the angst of being a teenager with Sophie. I understand how you can have family and not feel close, lose that bond. So, I enjoyed watching Rachel and Jess get to know each other again. Their backstory squeezed me to the core. Then, of course, the romance. I found it sweet and I found the passion between them believable. You will love this story! Highly recommend.

I've really enjoyed RaeAnne Thayne's work over the years. The Path to Sunshine Cove read a little differently for me than her previous works. This one dealt with a lot heavy subjects and therefore was a much more emotional read than I was prepared for. However, in true RaeAnne Thayne fashion, the heaviness was interspersed with humor, grace, and a happily ever after. This novel is definitely more women's fiction than romance, but there is a slight romance storyline.
The story is told from three pov's - Jess, single, hard working badass, and former army brat turned soldier herself, has travelled to Cape Sanctuary to both work and also visit with her sister and nieces and nephew. Jess' relationship is very complicated with her sister due to their tragic past and years of hurt and trauma the two endured. This has caused a strain on their relationship, but Jess hopes to make more of an effort to hang out with her family while she's in town. Jess owns Transitions, a company she runs with a former army solider and best friend, Yvette. The two help senior citizens clean out their homes and downsize clutter so they can sell their homes as they transition into assisted living centers or in with family members. She's just been hired by Eleanor who lost her husband six months ago to cancer. Eleanor contacted Jess because she had a friend who recommended her company and raved about her, and she's hoping to clear the clutter in her home and to help her remove some of her husbands things she's finding difficult to do herself. Jess arrives to begin work and meets Eleanor's overprotective son, Nathaniel, or Nate, as everyone calls him.
Nate is our second pov character, after an awkward first meeting with Jess, tries very hard to apologize to Jess about his overprotective behavior. Nate is a widower himself and single dad to surly teenage, Sophie. He's living on property on his family's estate keeping an eye on his mother after his father's death. He works construction and enjoys taking care of his mother and daughter. Nate is an all around good guy. His past is complicated, but he's open and honest about his feelings. As a former solider himself, he also understands Jess and enjoys her company, and appreciates how much Jess seems to care about his mother and his daughter. He tries to fight his growing feelings for Jess as the two both agree she's only there for two weeks before leaving town again and neither want the hassle of a fling or the often complicated emotions that come with it. The two share a couple of steamy kisses, but always manage to clear their heads before things go too far. Nate soon realizes he could truly fall for Jess.
Rachel, our third pov character, is social media influencer and town darling. Rachel tries living the social media ideal perfect life, but her life is anything but. Rachel's three kids are aged seven and under, both her daughters have different personalities, but are very sweet. Her youngest and only son, has just been diagnosed with autism. She's having a hard time dealing with the children, plus an infant with special needs, all while her husband is working long hours. Cody is her high school sweetheart, but the two have drifted apart lately, which only adds to her stress. She's struggling to keep everything together and so perfect, that doesn't remember to also take time for herself or ask anyone for help when she's overwhelmed. Rachel is Jess's younger sister and Rachel chose to stay in Cape Sanctuary instead of leaving with Jess when Jess turned 18. There is a massive rift between the two that neither know how to fix and Jess's surprise visit for the next two weeks has only caused more stress and anxiety for Rachel, who feels like she's the only one making an effort trying to fix their strained relationship.
To keep from spoiling the story, the two families lives intertwine as they all learn to deal with grief, loss, trauma, and unrealistic expectations. The subjects are heavy but the communication that the three have with each other is open and honest. The three try to mend their relationships as they learn to ask for help and guidance as they live their lives. The characters were lovable and relatable. The setting was idyllic and also helped to ease some of the heaviness of the story. All in all, a lovely and emotional read.

Oh my heart♥️
I truly loved reading The Path to Sunshine Cove. Such a heartwarming story that pulls on your heartstrings.
Two sisters separated as teens due to the horrific death of their parents. Jess is placed in the foster care system. Rachel is placed with family friends. Years later the closeness they had when they were young is gone.
Jess accepts a job (she has her own business with a friend) in Rachel’s coast side town Cape Sanctuary hoping to reconnect with her sister.
Loved the romance aspect. Loved the family issue aspect.
The characters are likeable and keep you engaged.
Will Jess and Rachel become friends again?
Will they be able to put their past issues behind them?
Definitely a MUST read!
I didn’t want the story to end and hope to read more about Sunshine Cove.
Author RaeAnn Thayne writes with heart....
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publish date: 30 March 2021

The Path To Sumshine Cove, by RaeAnne Thayne, is a compelling women’s fiction novel that will warm your heart. It’s full of weighty issues dealing with abandonment, death of a parent, perfectionism, domestic abuse, marriage troubles, the diagnosis of Autism, and more. Amongst these tough topics, Thayne lightens the load with just the right amount of sweet romance between a single father to a newly turned teen and an itinerant, former military woman with a budding business, but troubled past. Add in a second chance romance for a troubled marriage, .a charming grandmother and feisty teen alongside a beautiful house on the coast and you’ve got a hit.

The characters are likable, the relationship dynamics are realistic and the evolution throughout the plot is inspiring, yet credible.

The concept of living in an Airstream, traveling around the county and declutting people’s houses is interesting and the resolution to the story is satisfying. All-in-all a feel good second story in the Cape Sanctuary series.

I think this might be the first RaeAnne Thayne book that I have read. Given how many books she's written, I find that hard to believe. I will definitely keep reading more by her.

Jessica has a business called Transitions. She and her partner help people clear out their homes as they prepare to downsize. I know that I have multiple generations of stuff in my basement and could 100% use some help sorting it out. That's what Jess does. What that means is she's never anywhere for too long and spends a lot of time on her own. She has the opportunity to help someone in Sanctuary Cove. Her younger sister lives there. They have a shared trauma in their past and the fallout of that drove a wedge between them. Jess is wondering if they can ever find the closeness they once had.

Rachel, Jess's sister, wonders why her sister is in town. She's skeptical that things will be different, and she has her hand's full. Her husband is at work all the time. She has three children and the youngest was just diagnosed with Autism. She's also is a Social Media Influencer, and is struggling to work and parent.

Nate is the son of Jess's client. He is a single dad and didn't think he was interested i a relationship. But he and Jess spark something in each other.

This book rotates through three perspectives (Jess, Rachel, and Nate) and is hybrid of women's fiction and romance. We see them striving to connect and struggling and trying again. It felt very realistic and I wanted them al to succeed. I thought it was really well done and can't wait to read more books set in Sanctuary Cove.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin-Romance for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book. The setting of this quaint Northern California town was perfect for this women’s fiction with a touch of romance. Told in POV of Jess, Nate and Rachel, this book shares relationships of family and love. I love seeing the many faucets in the story. This is 2nd of the series and I did not read the first one and did not feel lost at all.