The Cafe at Beach End by Raeanne Thayne

Summer is here! For me, as a Texas gal, being outside during these scorching next few months is never fun. I’ve found the only way to enjoy my time outside in June to September here is to be submerged in a body of water, with the perfect light summer read. That is the only way I find pool and or beach time fun as an adult (I do still love playing mermaids from time to time, I can’t lie!). RaeAnne Thayne is a featured author in my summer reads rotation this year, and The Café at Beach End (Canary Street Press) satisfied everything I needed in a romance novel.

The quaint beach town of Cape Sanctuary was just that growing up for our main character Meredith — her sanctuary. Spending her summers here with her grandmother as a little girl was the place where she felt safe and loved.

We find Meredith returning years later, a bit worse for wear, after she has been publicly shamed for her ex-husband’s scheme to swindle millions of dollars from investors; a scheme of which Meredith knew nothing.

Meredith comes to the beach cottage left to her by her grandmother, hoping to find that piece of sanctuary she was able to experience growing up. Unfortunately, things are much simpler when you’re a kid.

Hoping to have a fresh start at the café she now co-owns, she is met by her jaded cousin, Tori, who certainly isn’t rolling out the welcome wagon any time soon. Coming back hasn’t been the balm on her soul that Meredith was hoping for. That is, until she meets the handsome, perplexing writer conveniently located next door. Liam Byrne might just be what Meredith needs to come to terms with her past and embrace her future.

Romance That Tugs on Your Heart in Every Way

The Café at Beach End is not your typical light and fluffy beach read, and it had me hooked from the get-go. While I liked the storyline between Meredith and Liam (his secret motives for befriending Meredith had me gasping!) I found myself drawn to the relationship between the estranged cousins.

Meredith and Tori were more like sisters than cousins growing up, so it broke Tori’s heart when Meredith left their sanctuary to live what she thought was a rich and lavish life, leaving Tori behind. Little did Tori know, Meredith wasn’t living the charmed life she always thought. Meredith returned with her own trauma.

Seeing these women overcome their respective challenges and come back to each other was heartwarming and beautiful. I would love to have another book centered around these characters, seeing them after they both get their “happily ever after.”

When picking up a beach read, you want something that will help you escape the long, mundane days (and the heat) for a couple of hours, and this book is the perfect addition to your summer TBR. If you are on the hunt for books that are filled with drama, forgiveness, love, healing and the joy of finding second chances, look no further thanRaeAnne Thayne’s The Café at Beach End!