Cover Image: A Brambleberry Summer

A Brambleberry Summer

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A good romance but I didn't fall in love with either character or the romance itself. I'm not sure why I didn't feel a great connection. Perhaps because the characters themselves were very standoffish so it put me in that same space.

I loved the setting of the Oregon Coast. I grew up in that area and will always appreciate this setting.

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Very good title. Easy read and nice characters. It was great to see the residents of Brambleberry House again.

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Another great story in the Brambleberry House series. Like other tenants of Brambleberry House, Rosa and Wyatt overcome dark times in their pasts and find a new beginning together. RaeAnne Thayne has written another romance that touches the heart.

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Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

I can sum up this book perfectly. Our minds read more into our past than what is real. Rosa has a past and she believes Officer Wyatt could never be interested in her with a past like hers. But when Wyatt and Logan, his young son, need a place to stay Rosa lets them stay at one of the apartments at Brambleberry House. The funny thing is Rosa’s past isn’t even something she should have been worried about.

I loved Rosa. Wyatt was great and the connection between him and Rosa was slow and sweet. But mostly I enjoyed Rosa with Logan. The characters are just delightful in the story.

I love the writing of RaeAnne Thayne. She puts so much emotion into her books that you feel you are there in Cannon Beach, Oregon. This is the 5th in the series but can be a stand alone but then as a fan of Thayne’s I am not sure why any lover of the romance genre wouldn’t want to read everything she has written.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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RaeAnne Thayne is one of my favourite authors. She’s an automatic buy for me.
So i was thrilled to get to preview this book.
It’s fantastic!
Kids, dogs, secrets, family ties and a steam couple. It has everything.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for my honest review.

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It was so nice to reconnect with the residents of Brambleberry House. Sweet love story complete with dogs and kids. Very enjoyable.

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Heartwarming, emotional and wonderfully romantic, A Brambleberry Summer is a spellbinding romantic tale from much-loved best-selling author RaeAnne Thayne.

Rosa Galvez cannot deny the fact that she is attracted to Officer Wyatt Townsend. Having been drawn to him from the first moment she clapped eyes on him, Wyatt is Rosa’s perfect man, however, past experience has taught her a very harsh lesson when it comes to romance and relationships. Rosa had once put her heart on the line and had it broken into a million tiny pieces, so the best she can do is try her hardest to keep Wyatt at arm’s length – until he moves into Brambleberry House alongside his adorable son! What is Rosa going to do now?

As she beings to spend more and more time with Wyatt, Rosa finds herself getting in deeper and deeper with him and his son. With each passing day, she begins to feel like she is finally a part of something and her resolve to remain single soon starts wavering. As the three of them begin to spend a fun-filled summer, Rosa feels as if she has at long last found the family she has always wanted – until the past rears its head and threatens to ruin her newfound happiness.

Will dangerous secrets tear Rosa and Wyatt apart? Or will Brambleberry House work its magic on the two of them?

Reader favorite RaeAnne Thayne will dazzle her legion of fans with this poignant romantic tale about second chances, learning to trust and healing from the past that will effortlessly touch the heart and lift the spirit. RaeAnne Thayne is a terrific storyteller who writes with humor, heart and sensitivity and she writes so beautifully about community, belonging and the power of love and friendship that readers will find themselves mesmerized by A Brambleberry Summer from beginning to end.

A brilliant romantic read from a writer who never lets her readers down, RaeAnne Thayne’s A Brambleberry Summer is going straight to my keeper shelf.

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If you're looking for a fun and easy read for the summer this is definitely a good one. It's very much a low angst story and is really light and heartwarming. There are certainly some moments of tension, but nothing that is extreme. I really liked the relationship between Rosa and Wyatt, but also the one between Rosa and Wyatt's son. I also love that it was set in Oregon, as it's a beautiful state, so it's pretty much an auto buy location for me. Thayne's writing in this book was light and refreshing and made this story a perfect summer read.

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Rosa Galvez is attracted to Wyatt Townsend, but with him being a police officer she feels her past will make it hard for things to work out. However, when Wyatt and his young son need an apartment while their fire damaged house is being repaired Rosa knows it will be next to impossible for Wyatt to get a place. Cannon Beach is in the middle of their busy tourist season, and Rosa feels she obligated to offer up one of the empty apartments she manages at Brambleberry House.

When Rosa’s past was revealed, I wasn’t sure why she thought it’d be a problem between her and Wyatt, as her actions were completely understandable. It wasn’t like she was a lawbreaker or anything either. It didn’t end up being a huge obstacle in the story. I appreciated the romance was low angst. Wyatt and Rosa were around each other a lot because of the forced proximity and ended up spending more time together making it hard to ignore the attraction they felt from the start. I enjoyed Rosa’s relationship with Logan, Wyatt’s cute seven-year-old son, as well.

Cannon Beach is one of my favorite places to visit in Oregon, with its gorgeous Pacific Coast beaches and forests that spill out onto the sand. The small town is cute with picturesque shops and restaurants, surrounded by greenery and planter boxes filled with flowers, and the author described it beautifully making it feel like another visit!

A Brambleberry Summer was a feel-good, easy going romance with a beautiful setting brought to life so vividly I could almost feel the ocean breeze!

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I enjoyed this book. A few sad, dark moments at times but they did not over shadow the content of the story. As a whole the story was told very well.

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This is the fifth book in The Women of Brambleberry House series, but it can be read as a standalone. Having said that, I will go back and read the previous books as I want to know about all these characters. Rosa Galvez owns Brambleberry House. She lives on the top floor, her friend and her daughter live in the middle and she rents the ground floor apartment to a friend's widowed brother and his young son while they are waiting for their home to be repaired after a fire. Both women have secrets and do not want Officer Wyatt Townsend to find out what they are hiding. Neither Rosa or Wyatt are interesting in a relationship, but sometimes attraction has a mind of its own.

I loved all the characters in this story. I didn't know what the secrets were, but I certainly had a couple of ideas. Rosa is strong character, who has a past she’s ashamed of, but with her caring nature, she doesn't hesitate to help others. Both women had been through some things that have caused them to be wary of men and not trusting easily, but Officer Wyatt is one of the good guys. I love his interactions with his son, Logan. Then there are the dogs, a beagle named Hank and an Irish Setter named Fiona, which always adds a little extra to these stories. This story has some mystery, danger, a past to be shared, baggage to discard, secrets to be revealed and dreams. This was a sweet story, well-written, entertaining and enjoyable. If you enjoy contemporary romance, then I recommend you pick up this book. It is a relatively quick story that you could read in a day at the beach or by the pool.

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Once again the house and Abigale are important characters. So is a very brave dog. Rosa gets her HEA after hiding her past and trying to ignore the love the is developing between herself and Wyatt. A nice happy ending and a interesting journey to get to that ending. This one did drag a little so four stars not Five.

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Another excellent story by RaeAnne Thayne. Lovely setting, a lovely heroine and a troubled hero.
I rooted for them and liked this story.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

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Terrific story of love and healing. Rosa manages Brambleberry House, an old Victorian house separated into three apartments. She lives in the top one, her friend and former college roommate, Jen, and her little girl live on the second floor, and the bottom floor apartment is vacant. Then Rosa's friend Carrie asks if Rosa will rent it to her brother Wyatt and his little boy for a month or so. Rosa is reluctant for several reasons but can't refuse her friend.

Wyatt is a widower who moved to town after his wife died. He needed his sister's help to take care of his son while Wyatt worked and dealt with his grief. Carrie invited them to stay with her when his home was damaged in a fire, but it's taking longer than expected to fix it. Tired of sleeping on a too-short couch, Wyatt is stunned when Carrie finds him a place before he has a chance to look for himself.

Wyatt and Rosa already know each other before he moves into Brambleberry House. Though neither will admit it, the sparks of attraction are already there. Neither Rosa nor Wyatt is looking for a relationship. Wyatt lost the love of his life and isn't interested in risking his heart again. Instead, he's locked down his emotions. Rosa has a turbulent past and feels that the choices she made make her unworthy of love. Very few people know her story, and Rosa prefers to keep it that way.

Because of her secrets, Rosa is very skittish around Wyatt. She's certain he would see right through her. Wyatt senses that she has secrets but tells himself they are none of his business. Both are determined to steer clear of each other, but they don't count on the effects of a matchmaking sister, an adorable little boy, two mischievous pups, and maybe one ghost. Rosa quickly falls for Wyatt's son Logan, who sees Rosa as a great new friend. Their Spanish lessons are sweet. Wyatt's sister, Carrie, seems determined to throw the two together at every opportunity, and even the dogs seem to be in cahoots with the house ghost. Rosa and Wyatt don't stand a chance.

I liked seeing Wyatt and Rosa spend time together though they insisted they were just friends. It isn't too long before she finds her solo days and evenings shared with Wyatt and Logan. Her heart wants more, but her fears insist she keeps him at a distance. Wyatt finds that his time with Rosa breaks through the walls he built around his heart. Suddenly he feels things he hasn't felt since his wife died, but Rosa pulls away. When trouble comes to Brambleberry House, the aftermath breaks Rosa's grip on the past. I ached for her because she was sure it would change how he looked at her when she told Wyatt everything. And so it did, but not the way she thought it would. Wyatt won major points with me for his obvious respect and admiration for her strength and resilience. I loved the epilogue and seeing their happy-ever-after come to pass.

I also liked the secondary storyline about Rosa's friend Jen. She moved to Cannon Beach at Rosa's urging to escape a dangerous situation back home. Her nervousness at the beginning of the book is understandable as her story is revealed bit by bit. Rosa's love and support help Jen see that she can trust Wyatt. That trust is rewarded when Jen's past shows up and puts Rosa's life at risk. I loved Rosa's defense of her friend in spite of, or maybe because of, the memories it stirred up. Wyatt's part was great too.

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This is a romance with some suspense, and this is the 5th book in the Women of Brambleberry House Book series. In this book there is two women living in the Brambleberry house that is hiding for secrets and their past when a cop and his son comes to live there. I loved the characters, but I did feel it hard to really know the characters because of all the secrets. The hind secrets makes you want to keep reading. This book has a cloud of secrets and suspense through out the whole book, but it is very well done. I really enjoyed this book, and the ending lets out all the secrets. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Harlequin) or author (RaeAnn Thayne) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

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A Brambleberry Summer is the fifth book in RaeAnne Thayne's, The Women of Brambleberry House series, and it's the second book in the series I've read, the first being A Soldier's Return, which I liked but didn't love, even though I absolutely loved her Haven Point series. If you've not read any books by Ms. Thayne, have no fear, this novel, and most of her novels, work just fine as standalone reads. As with A Soldier's Return, I felt this novel was only marginally better than the last, and am giving it 3.5 stars.

Although billed as a light summer read, there are some darker aspects to this novel, and although Ms. Thayne really doesn't put them front and center, they might be triggers for some, so if human trafficking, domestic abuse, and stalking are triggers for you, you might want to skip reading this title and opt for something lighter.

The women of Brambleberry House are first, Rosa Galvez, who is managing Brambleberry House and who also owns and operates a small souvenir/gift shop in this tourist town on the Oregon coast, and the second, is her friend and former college roommate, Jen Ryan, who is raising her 6-year-old daughter, Addie. Both of these women have secrets, and they are secrets they don't want to share. Neither woman is looking for love, simply seeking a friendly, safe, and peaceful place to live and work, and in many ways, a place where their secrets will not be revealed, but all that is about to change when there's a fire caused by faulty wiring in the small bungalow bought by widowed police detective, Wyatt Townsend, who is raising his 7-year-old son, Logan.

Rosa has been a friend of Wyatt's sister, Carrie, for some time, and when Carrie tells her that Wyatt and his son have been living with her, with Wyatt sleeping on her too-small sofa, while his house is being repaired, she asks Rosa to let Wyatt and Logan move into a currently empty apartment at Brambleberry House until repairs are completed and he and his son can return to their home, and although she has reservations about this decision, she simply cannot refuse her friend's request. In some ways, having a police detective living there, may offer some protection to Jen and her daughter, although we aren't told exactly why that's needed until later in the novel. The added complication is that tall, handsome, and kind, Wyatt, is as attracted to Rosa as she is to him, although she has convinced herself that nothing cam come of it because of her past, and again, we don't learn her secrets either until much later in the novel.

While the characters in this novel are fairly well-drawn, I simply didn't feel the same connection to them that I have to the characters in most of Ms. Thayne's other novels, nor, as someone who is up-front and honest with the people I meet and befriend, could I fully understand why Rosa, who clearly must have at some point received counseling after being adopted, still, years later, felt that what was done to her made her unlovable and unworthy of love. With Jen, once we learn that what she's hiding from isn't all that unusual these days, her fear and reluctance to divulge her secret seemed over-the-top and hard to believe for this reader.

Finally, A Brambleberry Summer is well-written and an easy read, and while many readers may not find fault with it at all, I have to admit that it is simply not among my favorite novels by the talented Ms. Thayne.

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

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Rating 4.5*

If you enjoy contemporary romances where the couple have their own, very different, reasons for not looking for romance but love is determined to find a way, grab yourself a copy of this heartwarming read! Although it is the fifth in the series, it still works well as a standalone, though it may also make you want to read the earlier books in the series, too – it has me!

Rosa Galvez lives in the uppermost apartment in Brambleberry House, whilst the middle one is home to her young widowed friend and her daughter who have come to this coastal community to escape and hide. The ground floor apartment is currently empty but when another close friend asks if her brother and nephew can stay there, Rosa can’t think of a good enough excuse to say no even though she’s wary of him moving in. That’s when the fun starts!

They are all great characters – and so are their dogs! There’s mystery, history, danger, the past to be shared, secrets to be revealed and dreams to come true, all skilfully entwined in the storyline to create a well written, engaging and entertaining read that is delightful to escape into. I have no hesitation in highly recommending this to anyone who enjoys this genre.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.

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I've read a couple of RaeAnne Thayne's charming books, and somehow, I keep managing to come in at the middle or end of a series. Thankfully, this one, like the others I've read, works as a standalone. And I'll just go ahead and say that now that I've been introduced to this world, I'll need to go back and read the first 4 books. This one is an engaging romance with secrets, so of course, we have characters circling those things they want to keep hidden, and of course, they're gonna come out anyway. In that, it was predictable, but that didn't stop me from turning those pages. I thoroughly enjoyed Rosa and Wyatt's romance as Wyatt's son, the sweet dogs, and various other characters that come and go. It's a quick read, so A Brambleberry Summer is great for whiling away an afternoon or day at the beach.

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RaeAnne Thayne did it again - she wrote an amazing story with well developed characters and a twist to keep you on your toes. Although this was a short story, she did not sacrifice depth of characters or story line.

I am looking forward to the next Brambleberry House book.

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Rosa came to this country looking for work to support herself. She was tricked, and at only 15 there was little she could do about it. After enduring much pain and misery, she escapes to a simple life. As an adult she keeps to herself. She is thrown for a loop when she meets Wyatt. He is a police officer just like her adoptive father. Wyatt lost his first wife and is not looking for another love. The attraction can not be denied and as they grow closer and closer the fall in love.

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