THE CAFÉ AT BEACH END – RaeAnne Thayne
Canary Street Press
ISBN: 978-1-335-45816-2
June 13, 2023
Contemporary Romance

Cape Sanctuary, California – Present Day

Meredith Collins returns to Cape Sanctuary, the one place where she felt safe growing up. Her late grandmother gave her the love that Meredith’s parents would not give her. But she knows that coming back will not be met with open arms from her cousin, Tori, who runs the local café once owned by their grandmother. The café was left to both girls and now Meredith is there to work—and recover from the wounds left after her late ex-husband swindled people out of millions of dollars. As expected, Tori is openly hostile to Meredith, but since they split the café due to the terms of their grandmother’s will (Tori has fifty-one percent), she finally does agree to give her cousin a job.

Meredith was also willed one of the cottages owned by her grandmother, with Tori living in another and a third one is currently rented by a man who is there for a month while he writes his book. The man, who says his name is Liam, spends hours in the café with his laptop and soon is friendly with Meredith. When she offers to spruce up the café décor, Tori agrees, and Liam offers to help with the painting. Slowly, Meredith’s relationship with Tori begins to thaw, while her friendship with Liam turns deeper.

Tori is a widowed mother of a teenage daughter. Her late husband’s family lives in town and is a big support, especially Sam, her late husband’s brother. Sam is divorced and has custody of his teenage daughter, and the two teens hang out together, which means Tori sees Sam a lot. Soon, Tori is experiencing feelings for Sam that are much more than friendship. But how would his family feel about them as a couple? As Tori grapples with what to do, she begins to push Sam away. Meanwhile, her hatred of Meredith—and what she feels was her cousin’s fault for staying away while their grandmother lost money, then got sick and died—begins to thaw. There is more to what is going on with Meredith than Tori realizes.

As readers soon learn in THE CAFÉ AT BEACH END, nothing is as it appears. Meredith’s husband was a cheating scoundrel who abused her. Law enforcement thinks she knows where the missing funds that her ex stole are, but she doesn’t and wishes she could have stopped him. Liam, it turns out, is an FBI agent on vacation and undercover. His bosses had closed the file on the missing money, but he thinks that she can lead him to it if he gets close to her. But he soon realizes that Meredith is a victim also.

Tori doesn’t trust Meredith and that was reinforced after she bailed out on them when they were younger, and their grandmother fell for Meredith’s husband’s scams. She believes that her cousin was a willful participant in the scam and hates that she is back in Cape Sanctuary even though she is a part-owner of the café. Tori soon realizes that Meredith is barely hanging on financially. Like others, she wonders if she knows where the funds are. Meanwhile, Tori and Sam are dealing with their willful daughters who think having fun is more important than getting good grades in school. They are soon banding together to help fix their children. Will it bring them closer to being a couple?

THE CAFÉ AT BEACH END is that emotional read which will tug at your heartstrings. Meredith keeps her secrets locked deep inside to hide the pain. It is Liam and Tori who finally gets her to open up to them. Tori is struggling with her feelings for Sam. She has to get over the feeling that she is betraying her late husband by being attracted to his brother. Will the women finally come together and become close again? Will Liam see the truth in Meredith? Grab a hanky as you go on the women’s emotional journey in THE CAFÉ AT BEACH END.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

I’m starting to think it’s me. Maybe it’s a bit of a reading slump. I just didn’t feel connected to these characters. They are great characters with interesting backgrounds, but I felt the author was only giving us the most surface information. Oddly enough, I still felt the connections amongst them all even without getting to the soul of them as I am used to with RaeAnne Thayne

There are a lot of stories in this one, as is often the case with this author. Two love stories are happening; Meredith and Liam, Tori and Sam. There is also another relationship being built, actually rebuilt, between Meredith and Tori. Cousins who spent every summer together growing up who have not only grown apart but have a lot of animosity between them. We don’t see as much of Sam as I would have liked, but we get perspectives from the other three characters.

I’ll give a warning here that one of the romantic pairings is a woman and her deceased husband’s brother. I know that bothers a lot of people so wanted to put it out there since it’s not really a spoiler. Tori has been a widow for many years and Sam didn’t live nearby until recently, but it’s still a sticky situation for some readers.

What I would have loved to see in this story is either a stronger emphasis on Tori and Meredith working through their problems or a stronger emphasis on the romantic pairings. As it is, I felt each of the various relationships was only given a token amount of time. So while I was invested in the characters, I still felt I was being cheated out of something.

Generally, I adore this author, even her stories that lean a bit more toward the women’s fiction end. I just wanted more.

Great book. I love this series. Definitely recommend this book. Perfect beach or pool read for the summer. Loved the cousins relationship.

While The Cafe at Beach End wasn't exactly the summery beach read I was expecting, it's always nice to settle into RaeAnne Thayne's Cape Sanctuary novels, the fifth book in the series, and this one was no exception. Although there's some romance in this novel, it takes a back seat to the re-connection of estranged family members, Meredith, and Tori, and it's told with alternate points of view, the two aformentioned women and Liam, an FBI finacial investigater, who's in Cape Sanctuary under false pretenses.

Both Meredith and Tori were as close as could be when they were children and teens, Tori growing up there, and Meredith spending summers there, with their grandmother, Frances, but that all changed when Meredith thought she found the love of her life, Carter, who whisked her away despite Frances' and Tori's dislike of the man, and sadly, Meredith found out they were right, as early as their wedding night. Not only was Carter physically and emotionally abusive to Meredith, he bilked hundreds of millions of dollars from his clients before finally being caught, tried, imprisoned, and eventually murdered while incarcerated.

Meredith has returned to Cape Sanctuary with her last $300. Frances left her 49% of the titular cafe, and although Tori still wants nothing to do with her, as half-owner, when Merebith decides she needs a job, Tori starts her off by bussing tables at the popular cafe, and Meredith moves into one of the delapidated cottages also left to her by Frances. It's there she meets Liam, who moves in next door and who is posing as an aspiring novelist while secretly trying to do what other investigators were unable to do--find out where Meredith's criminal ex-husband stashed all his money.

Tori's husband, Javier, is also deceased, having drowned while attempting to rescue a swimmer unaided. She's been raising their teenage daughter alone, as has Sam, Javier's older brother, but there's an attraction betwen the two of them that Tori is fighting, and the same is true of Meredith's attraction to Liam. Sadly, Ms. Thayne didn't include one other narrator, Sam. It would have been helpful to understand his growing attraction to Tori, the wife of his deceased younger brother. And my only other issue with this novel is that I wish Ms. Thayne had included an epilogue, since the novel ends abruptly, and I wished for a follow-up to the angst and drama that sort of ended happily, but the ending felt somewhat incomplete.

If you're looking for an engrossing read this summer, one about starting over, reconnecting with estranged family, finding a new purpose in a life that's not gone as expected, single parenthood, and above all, forgiveness, The Cafe at Beach End is that novel.

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

This was a great summer read that completely transported me to the Cape Sanctuary beach town. This book has two primary story lines--

1. Meredith & Liam
Meredith is finally free from the control of her ex-husband, who was convicted of his primary role in a Ponzi scheme. While Meredith was innocent of any wrongdoing, many people assume her guilty by association. She escapes to Cape Sanctuary, where her recently deceased grandmother left her 49% ownership of the Cafe at Beach End, as well as a small (and falling apart) cottage on the beach. She takes a job busing tables and meets Liam, her neighbor for the next month.
Liam works for the FBI analyzing financial crimes. His mother was one of the victims of Meredith's ex-husband. He's convinced Meredith has to know where the remaining money is that her ex-husband hid. He decides to go rogue and strike up a friendship with her to see if he can find any clues as to where the remaining millions might be. Their new friendship begins to turn into more, but can they overcome his secrets and true intentions for being in Cape Sanctuary?

2. Tori & Sam
Tori stayed in Cape Sanctuary while her cousin, Meredith, went off and married her ex-husband and lived the life of the rich and powerful. Their parting was not a good one & she has no interest in rekindling any kind of friendship with Meredith, but she has no choice. While Tori has 51% ownership of the cafe, she cannot deny Meredith the opportunity to work there. Meanwhile, she's a single mom raising a 13-year old daughter, Emilia. Her husband died in a search & rescue mission 7 years prior. She's doing her best to raise Emilia, but Emilia and her new-to-town cousin, Cristina, are getting themselves in more trouble than they can handle.
Sam's wife has left him and moved out of the country, leaving him to raise Cristina on his own. He moves back to Cape Sanctuary to give his daughter stability and to be closer to family. The trouble Cristina and Emilia get themselves into forges a close relationship with his sister-in-law, Tori. There are undeniable feelings between the two of them, but Tori is afraid to act on them because of what people will think.

The story is told from three POVs--Meredith, Liam, & Tori. I love a story with rotating POVs. It keeps the story line moving & is more enjoyable. My only complaint is that Sam didn't get any chapters from his POV & he was the most likable character (in my opinion).

I liked all of the content of both of these story lines, but I didn't love the structure. I would've preferred to have Sam & Tori's story as their own in a completely separate book. Theirs was my favorite story line of the two. After that, I would've liked to have seen Meredith & Liam's story as book #2 in the series.

This book is sure to be a great beach companion for your next vacation!

Thank you to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book is set to be published June 13th. Be sure to check it out!

Meredith Collins has come home to Cape Sanctuary to find a new life. She’s dropped her married name of Rowland, sold all her belongings, lost her successful art gallery and, worst of all, her reputation. Meredith Rowland was the wife of Carter Rowland, whose Ponzi scheme rivaled that of Bernie Madoff. Whose Ponzi scheme she profited from and should have known about. It doesn’t matter that she didn’t and that she divorced Carter before he died in prison. Now she’s come home to the only place she has left - a dilapidated beach house, an almost half share in a semi-successful café and Tori, the cousin who was her best friend until she abandoned her years ago. Tori, the cousin who now hates her but will let her bus tables during the morning rush. Meredith endears herself to the cooks and servers at the café and comes up with some ideas to improve it. She also catches the eye of her exclusive neighbor and writer, Liam Byrne. Byrne is attracted to Meredith but, like her, he is hiding secrets of his own.

The Cafe at Beach End is a story of redemption and forgiveness. It’s also a story of love, joy and starting over. All the characters are keeping secrets that hold them back and only find happiness when their secrets are revealed. I loved this book and can’t wait to read the next in this beautifully written series. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and RaeAnne Thayne for this ARC.

📚Book Review 📚
The Cafe At Beach End
by RaeAnne Thayne
Pub Date 6/13/23

When Meredith loses everything, after her, now, ex husband took millions of dollars from his clients investments and was sent to prison then killed there, her only choice is to go back to Cape Sanctuary and the Cafe at Beach End. Her grandmother willed to her 49% of the cafe and one of the cottages on the beach.

Tori, Meredith’s cousin and former best friend, never left Cape Sanctuary and owns 51% of the cafe and a cottage. Tori hasn’t had it easy. Her husband died tragically and her teenage daughter is a handful, not to mention running the cafe. She’s also attracted to her husband’s brother, Sam, and feelings are mutual.

Tensions run high when Meredith shows up to the cafe. But Tori agrees to let her work bussing tables and washing dishes.

Liam, a writer, rents the third cottage for a month. Liam befriends Meredith, but he has his own secret. Sparks are flying between them.

I liked the dynamic between Meredith and Tori. They have a lot to work through. The attraction between both couples was well done. A nice, easy read with good endings for all.

Thank you @netgalley @harleqinbooks @canarystreetpress and @raeannethayne for an electronic book ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) in exchange for an honest review.

#raeannethayne #thecafeatbeachend #womensfiction #romance
#literaryfiction #fiction #NetGalley
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The Cafe at Beach End
RaeAnne Thayne
June 13, 2023

We are back in Cape Sanctuary in Northern California in The Cafe at Beach End. It is RaeAnne Thayne’s fifth in her series. Meredith Rowland, cousin of Tori and granddaughter to Frances, spent most of her childhood summers living on the Cape. Since Frances passed she has not returned. She married a man who invested millions of dollars for many people, at the same time he took the money and swindled friends and family. He was sent to prison but never informed anyone including his wife where the funds were placed. Although she and Toril were best pals growing up, the friendship dissolved when the scheme was uncovered. All that Meredith had was taken to place in a fund for the investors. With nowhere else to go she returns to Cape Sanctuary to regain a life. She is half owner of the cafe and Frances had left one of the cottages to her.
Thayne’s The Cafe at Beach End will be published on June 13, 2023 by Canary Street Press. It was very generous of them to all me to read and review the ARC of her latest novel via NetGalley. I have read one or two of the series and reading the Cafe has encouraged me to continue on with the series. It is a delightful, heart felt read that expresses the needs of families to lean together in times of stress and unease. Her fans will be excited to get part 5 in the series. It’s been awhile since I read a Cape Sanctuary novel yet I was able to follow and appreciate the story line. Don’t miss this one, it is a gem.

Meredith married a man that her family wanted her to. Come to find out, he wasn't the man she wanted. Now, she's back at the cafe left to her and her cousin by her grandmother, and trying to make a life for herself. Will anyone let her.

This book is a book about redemption and new beginnings. Meredith Collins coasts into the town of Cape Sanctuary on a nearly empty gas tank. Her life has been turned upside down after her ex-husband tricked investors out of millions of dollars of their own money, and later died in prison. Meredith has been in the crosshairs of the investigation and public opinion, but now she needs to start over.

Cape Sanctuary holds special memories of her youth and time with her grandmother. She has a rough reunion with her cousin Tori due to old hurt feelings. Meredith rolls up her sleeves, cleans up the cabin her grandmother left her, and works washing dishes at the cafe that Tori runs. She is determined to get a fresh start on her new life, but that plan has it challenges due to her relationship with Tori, and connecting with a mysterious writer who is renting the next door cabin.

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. There is not a RaeAnne Thayne book that I have read that I have not loved including this one. The Cafe at Beach End is just a wonderful story that makes you want to move to the town of Cape Sanctuary. The characters in this book are strong and vibrant and as you read the book you find yourself cheering for them. Most families have issues and the main family in this book is no exception. However, as you read the book you realize that there is always more to the story of each person's life and you really never know what goes on behind closed doors. Emotions run high throughout this whole book and it makes you want to keep turning pages. If you are looking for a great story to read, pick this book up!!

What happens when you have to go back where you have burned bridges. This is the back of the story. Great characters and a very interesting plot

I'm always delighted to read a novel written by RaeAnne Thayne because she writes such hopeful, feel-good stories without shying away from difficult themes. The Cafe at Beach End is the perfect blend of romance and characters who are longing for second chances. They are all grappling with hurt and disappointment and grieving losses. I liked how the different threads of the characters' lives were woven together, and despite their past heartache, they kept working toward fresh starts. Cape Sanctuary is a charming coastal community, and the cafe served as a focal point for the characters to mingle. Readers will adore this emotional story featuring two distinct romances, and strong women who value family, relationships, and their community.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions shared here are my own.

I've been dreaming of the beach and summer, so I picked this one up to enhance my mood. Also, I don't think I've read anything by RaeAnne Thayne but I know she's a favorite author for many and thought I might be missing out - I was.

Description:
When Meredith Collins was a child, the little beach town of Cape Sanctuary lived up to its name. Spending summers there with her grandmother, Meredith finally felt safe and loved.

Now she’s returning in disgrace. Her late ex-husband swindled investors out of millions of dollars and made Meredith a figure of scorn—though she knew nothing about his scheme. But she still has the beach cottage she inherited from her grandmother and half ownership of the local café. It’s a place to work and earn a little money. That’s if her cousin, Tori, will let her through the door. Once, Tori and Meredith were as close as sisters—until Meredith chose her neglectful parents’ expectations over their bond. Now widowed with a teenage daughter, Tori isn’t setting out a welcome mat for the woman who let her down so badly.

While Meredith tries to make a fresh start, she is drawn to a mysterious writer renting the cottage next door. Liam Byrne’s kindness is a balm, though she worries he might not be so friendly if he knew who she was. But Liam has his own secret and a mission that will help Meredith confront her past—and maybe, claim a surprising future…

My thoughts:
This wasn't exactly the beachy read I was expecting, it was more about starting over, healing old wounds,and was somewhat emotional. Meredith had a lot to deal with after her ex-husband's terrible swindling of his investors and the suspicions cast upon her. Meeting Liam was so helpful to her and yet, his secret was another wound to her already damaged soul. I can't imagine being in the position Meredith was in nor how I would deal with it. The animosity of her cousin Tori was just more she had to deal with. I had to admire her just for getting up in the mornings and trying. I enjoyed this book and hope to read others by Thayne in the future.

Thanks to Canary Street Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on June 13, 2023.

RaeAnne Thayne was a new discovery for me. I enjoyed The Cafe at Beach End so much, I bought 5 of her backlist titles. The characters are relatable with drama and emotional upheaval moving the story forward at a pace that kept me reading later into the night.

The Café at Beach End, RaeAnne Thayne

Meredith and Tori are cousins that were like sisters growing up.

Meredith’s parents were always jet-setting around the world and Mere’ was a mere afterthought. The minute school let out for the summer; Meredith was dropped off at her grandmother’s home in the small quaint town of Cape Sanctuary.

Tori’s mother was an addict that dropped her off at her grandmother’s when she was just a toddler. Her mother eventually succumbed to her illness. Tori’s father was unknown. Their grandmother was their saving grace.

When Meredith graduated from high school, she moved away for college where she earned an art degree, married a wealthy man who worked for her father, and opened an Art Gallery. It appeared that she was living a charmed existence.

Meanwhile, Tori had gotten pregnant and married shortly out of high school. She stayed in Cape Sanctuary, happily helping her grandmother at The Beach End Café. When her daughter Emilia was six years old, her husband died. A few years later, her grandmother fell ill, and Tori not only took care of her, but also managed the café and took care of her daughter. During this entire time, Meredith was MIA in Tori’s life when she needed her the most.

Back in paradise, Meredith’s life imploded when her ex-husband was convicted of cheating investors out of millions of dollars. Law enforcement assumed that Meredith knew where the money was hidden, but they couldn’t prove it. Penniless and friendless, Meredith crawled back to the only place that she ever felt safe, Cape Sanctuary. Tori didn’t welcome her with open arms but couldn’t begrudge Meredith their grandmother’s inheritance.

Meredith moved into the cottage she inherited and began working with Tori at the café’ that their grandmother had bequeathed them.

While trying to rebuild her life, Meredith became distracted by a mysterious man who was spending his days at the café’ supposably working on writing a book. Turns out that the mysterious man was looking for Meredith.

Will Meredith and Tori find their way bath to their childhood bond? Will either of them ever find true happiness? What does the mystery man want with Meredith.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hated to see it end. I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy Women’s Fiction with touches of mystery and romance.

I am grateful to Author RaeAnne Thayne, NetGalley, and Canary Street Press for allowing me the opportunity to review this Advanced Reader’s Copy. This is a voluntary review, and all comments and opinions are entirely my own.

I received this book from NetGalley!!Tori and Meredith are cousins who at one time were as close as sisters. Both being partially raised in Cape Sanctuary by grandma Francis. Fast forward to present day. Tori is still in Cape Sanctuary, raising her daughter, and ruining the local cafe. Now widowed Tori rents one of three cottages to Liam. Liam is an undercover FBI agent in Cape Sanctuary to investigate Meredith who jus returned to town. Meredith’s ex husband had stolen millions from people. Meredith has returned to town broke and down and out. Liam and Meredith grow closer. Tori grows close to her now divorced brother in law. Throw in a few dogs and this is a fabulous read.

It was nice to settle into a Thayne novel again. The Cafe at Beach End is the story of family – the people who knew you when life’s possibilities seemed limitless and full of hope. Life took cousins Meredith and Tori on different paths but they are back together and now need to find a way of being in the same place. Tori is a widowed mother of a teenage daughter and part owner of the family cafe. She’s overwhelmed by being responsible for both. Meredith lived a luxurious life until it abruptly came to an end when her swindling husband went to prison for his crimes. Old insecurities, jealousies and presumptions are a few of the obstacles that could prevent the cousins from a bright new life. I appreciated the perspectives and issues of both women and how RaeAnne Thayne made it easy to empathize with them. Recommended to fans of women’s fiction and the author.

When Meredith Collins was a child, Cape Sanctuary was her safe place but now that her life has imploded, her marriage done and over with, she is back in Cape Sanctuary to try to pick up the pieces of her life even as her relationship with her cousin, Tori, is just as damaged as Meredith’s life has become. Meredith deals with her shame, heartache and more as she navigates life in Cape Sanctuary as well as trying to pick up the pieces once again.
Finding out her cousin Meredith inherited part of the Café at Beach End as well as a beach cottage from their grandmother, Tori is spitting mad at Meredith. But sometimes a relationship can be patched, and forgiveness found as secrets come out into the open and as Tori and Meredith this second chance at a relationship with one another as well as a romance that shows both women that their second act is about to change their lives if they let themselves believe they deserve it.

THE CAFÉ AT BEACH END is the fourth book in this wonderful Cape Sanctuary series and I find myself drawn to this series in more ways than I can count. With engaging characters, a small town that is warm and welcoming and a storyline that is fresh and new to the reader, RaeAnne Thayne delivers on all that and more in her newest book in this wonderful series. Each book in the series can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend reading from the beginning with book one, The Cliff House, and go from there as each book is wonderful and some of the past characters do show up in each book in some way. The writing just flows in THE CAFÉ AT BEACH END, and you get a real sense at how different the main characters are as well as their personalities. The author does use some weighty and difficult topics within the story (domestic violence/abuse, Widowhood or Ponzi schemes), then you might want to skip this one. The author does a good job incorporating these two themes within the story and it’s not front and center in the book rather it’s like a backstory that comes across in a very gentle way.

What I enjoy the most about this author’s books is how the characters are very well written as well as intriguing. From Meredith who seemed to have it all (well to do parents, fairytale marriage, college, etc.) to Tori who dealt with absentee parents and a tragedy that left her a single parent to a teenager, Ms. Thayne captures the characters beautifully and keeps the reader glued to the pages as they navigate their way forward through adversity and triumph in the end. As I finished THE CAFÉ AT BEACH END, I was rooting for both Tori and Meredith to forgive each other as well as themselves plus I loved meeting some new characters that had me smiling at times. I love this author’s books and her newest book, THE CAFÉ AT BEACH END, is a perfect summer read on those lazy days. I can’t wait to see what else the author has in store for this series and highly recommend their books.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement.

This book took to long. I stopped reading at 62%. This book does deal with domestic violence in multiple manners. DNF





**********************I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion.*******************************