The Summer Daughter by Colleen French

The Summer Daughter

Book Summary

Summer fiction at its page-turning best for fans of Elin Hilderbrand, Holly Chamberlin, and Nancy Thayer! Colleen French, acclaimed author of The Summer I Found Myself, brings readers to Albany Beach, Delaware, where one woman must decide whether to seek out the daughter she gave up for adoption.

Each year, the start of summer brings bustle and much-needed tourist dollars to the little town of Albany Beach, Delaware. For Natalie Sullivan, this season is proving more stressful than others. It’s make-or-break time for the Irish pub her husband, Conor, recently bought with his brothers. Their two children are thriving, but she’s experiencing pangs of loss at the end of her childbearing years.

When sixteen-year-old McKenzie starts gushing about Bella, the new coworker at her summer job, Natalie suddenly finds her past and present in conflict. Bella, two years older than McKenzie, looks so similar that a customer remarks that they could be sisters. And when Natalie learns that Bella was adopted, she is propelled back into a heartbreaking decision. As a college student, Natalie became pregnant and put her baby up for adoption. Now, the more McKenzie talks about Bella, the more Natalie wonders: could Bella be her daughter?

Conor insists it’s a mistake to pursue the matter. Natalie’s child belongs to another family now; that was the agreement in the closed adoption. Still, Natalie can’t resist spending time with Bella. As their bond deepens, McKenzie accuses her mother of caring more for a stranger than for her, and Natalie begins imagining what it would be like to have Bella as a second daughter. What will the impact be if Bella really is her biological child? And if she isn’t, can Natalie embrace the joy and potential in her own family, without always wondering about what could have been? 

My Thoughts

The Summer Daughter by Colleen French has Natalie Sullivan living with her husband and two children in Albany Beach, Delaware.  Natalie learned some devastating news from the doctor.  It has her looking  at her life and the choices she made.  When her teenage daughter, Mackenzie introduces her new friend, eighteen-year-old, Bella to Natalie, she is shocked by the resemblance between the two girls.  When Bella mentions she was adopted, Natalie wonders if it is the daughter she gave up for adoption while in college.  Despite protests from her husband, Natalie spends time with Bella over the summer.  Natalie wonders if she made the right decision giving up the child and what will her other children think when they learn they have an older sister.  It is a summer of reflection for Natalie.   

The Summer Daughter introduces us to Natalie Sullivan who is upset after receiving news from her doctor.  It has her questioning different aspects of her life.  I was not a fan of Natalie who is an intense character.  She became obsessive about the daughter she gave up for adoption to the point of neglecting her husband and other two children.  McKenzie acted out frequently (lots of teenage angst and drama).  Natalie’s husband, Conor is a little too perfect (I am surprised there was not a halo over his head).    I found it hard to complete the book.  I found the ending to be a letdown especially after all the drama.  I was not a fan of the mother being labeled as crazy and nuts. Natalie did become focused on Bella and the idea that she was her adoptive daughter.  Natalie needed understanding from her family, and she was not getting it.  She is at the point in her life (late 30s) when you begin to wonder if you made the right choices.  Natalie’s medical issue is one of the driving forces in the story along with adoption and DNA testing.  I did not like some of the ageist comments regarding Natalie’s surgery.  I found The Summer Daughter to be just okay.  The Summer Daughter was not the right book for me.  I always suggest that readers download a sample so they can see if the book suits them.  The Summer Daughter is a family drama with surgery unease, pub pangs, daughter drama, genetic quandary, beautiful beaches, and an unexpected conclusion.

The Summer Daughter is available from Amazon*.  You can find Colleen French's other novels here (many of her novels can be read for free with Kindle Unlimited).  Thank you for joining me today.  Tomorrow I am featuring Clause of Death by Lorna Barrett.  It is the 16th A Booktown Mystery and it comes out June 7.  I hope that your day is filled with happiness.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Boardwalk Bookshop by Susan Mallery: Review & Excerpt!

 The Boardwalk Bookshop

Book Summary

With her unique brand of witty, emotional storytelling, Susan Mallery's latest is a heartfelt tale of friendship between three women brought together by chance who open a bookshop together on the boardwalk of the California beaches and ultimately become one another's family. Fans of Elin Hilderbrand, Robyn Carr and Susan Wiggs will love The Boardwalk Bookshop!

Brought together by chance, Bree, Mikki, and Ashley become fast friends and open up a beachfront bookshop together, bringing together their three different businesses. To celebrate, each Friday at sunset they pop open champagne on the beach and enjoy the sunset together. Little did they know that that chance meeting and this simple ritual would make them one another’s family.

Bree owns the bookshop. Funny that she can’t stand authors. They’re far too demanding. But when NYT bestselling author Harding Burton, the memoirist who wrote about being paralyzed as a teenager and how he fought his way back, comes in, Bree never expected to actually like him. But anything beyond casual sex is out of the question for her. She trusts no one—a brutal first marriage and a painful childhood taught her well. Still as much as she wants to walk away, she can’t quite do it…

Ashley, Harding’s brother, owns the muffin shop and she has her own problems. She’s been happily in love with her boyfriend, Seth, for eight years. He’s thoughtful, supportive, kind, generous…but he hasn’t proposed and, she can’t hold it in any longer. When he announces that marriage isn’t for him, she’s shocked. And as much as she wishes this was enough, the truth is that she wants to be married. But what now?

And Mikki, the gift shop owner, is getting a second chance. She married her high school sweetheart, but three kids and completely different interests made them drift apart until they divorced a few years ago. They’re still close for the kids, but when someone new enters her life, he makes her feel appreciated and alive. Suddenly Mikki’s ex is making her dinner and asking her advice and Mikki must choose between the man she loved and let go of—and a chance for a brand new beginning.

About the Author

SUSAN MALLERY is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels about the relationships that define women's lives—family, friendship and romance. Library Journal says, “Mallery is the master of blending emotionally believable characters in realistic situations," and readers seem to agree—forty million copies of her books have been sold worldwide. Her warm, humorous stories make the world a happier place to live.

Susan grew up in California and now lives in Seattle with her husband. She's passionate about animal welfare, especially that of the two Ragdoll cats and adorable poodle who think of her as Mom.

Author Links

Twitter: @susanmallery

Facebook: @susanmallery

Instagram: @susanmallery

Author website: https://www.susanmallery.com/

My Thoughts

The Boardwalk Bookshop by Susan Mallery takes us to a store on the beach that houses a bookshop, gift shop, and muffin shop.  Three women have come together to lease the space.  You can pick up a snack, a book, and beach towel plus a cute tote bag to hold everything all in one charming shop.  We get to meet Bree, Ashley, and Mikki.  Their business is booming, but their personal lives are not.  Bree is determined to not let anyone get close to her.  She has casual flings, but she does not do relationships.  Bree has a rule to not date authors.  Then she meets Ashley’s author brother, Harding.  He can see past the barricades Bree has erected.  This terrifies Bree, but she finds herself drawn to Harding. Ashley and Seth moved their relationship to the next level three months prior when they moved in together.  Ashley is wondering when Seth is going to pop the question.  When Ashley learns that Seth has no intention of proposing, she must decide if she can be happy without a ring on her finger.  Mikki has been divorced for three years.  She is still friends with her ex-husband as they co-parent their two children.  Mikki has not dated since the divorce, and she has Earl (her battery-operated pleasure device) to take care of her needs.  But then a man enters Mikki’s life at the same time her ex-husband is interested in resurrecting their relationship.  What does the future hold for Mikki, Bree, and Ashley?

In The Boardwalk Bookshop we see three strangers come together as business partners, friends, and family.  I enjoyed following the women on their journey as they grew as individuals and in their friendship.  I believe women will relate to the characters and their issues.  I enjoyed the descriptions of the lady’s unique store.  They each managed to put their own spin on their spaces while making it cohesive as a whole.   There is foul language as well an intimate situations in the book including references to women’s personal pleasure devices.  The ending is sweet, but I wish there had been an epilogue so we could see how the characters are faring in the future.  It was interesting learning about the different champagnes and sparkling wines.  The three women tried a different bubbly each Friday after work as they enjoyed watching the sunset on the beach.  There is a recipe for red, white, and blue muffins at the end of the book along with discussion questions and a preview of Home Sweet Christmas (Susan Mallery’s next book).  The author also gives helpful information on champagne and sparkling wines plus some recommendations.  The Boardwalk Bookshop is a charming beach tale with a busy bookshop, mouthwatering muffins, an attractive author, chilled champagne, a sad sack, firm friends, and relationship woes.  

Excerpt

“I thought there’d be more sex.”

Bree Larton stared at her seventy-something-year-old customer, not sure how to respond. Bursting out laughing would be inappropriate and Ruth would take offense. “You need to tell me what you want so I can get you the right book,” Bree said with a gentle smile. “You wanted a political thriller. Most of them aren’t sexy.”

Ruth, barely five feet tall but feisty as a badger, pursed her lips. “Not true. James Bond has sex all the time and he spends his day saving the world. I want a book like that. Ticking bombs, financial collapse, kidnappings and then everyone jumps into bed.” She winked. “That would be a good book.”

“I can do a sexy thriller. Maybe international?” Bree started walking toward that section of the bookstore. “A couple of options come to mind. Now, on the sexy part—do you want monogamy or can the partners play around?”

Ruth’s eyes brightened. “I’d like them to play around, but nothing too kinky. And no groups. That’s just too hard to keep track of.”

Bree held in a chuckle. “All right. We’ll limit the body parts, add a little European flair.” She held out a book with a hunky guy on the cover. “If you like this one, the author has five more stories waiting for you.”

Ruth, an unnaturally yellow blonde wearing cherry-red lipstick, clutched the book to her narrow chest. “I’ll take it.”

Bree suggested several additional authors. Ruth browsed for a few more minutes, then carried a stack of books to the register.

“I think I would have been a good sidekick for James Bond.” Ruth passed over her credit card. “Back in the day, I was quite the looker.”

“You still are,” Bree told her.

Ruth waved away the comment. “I’m too old for espionage, but I wouldn’t say no to dinner with a charming man.” Her smile turned sly. “I’ll just have to keep living vicariously through you.”

“Sadly, I’m lacking a man these days.”

Ruth leaned close. “What I admire about you, Bree, is that you’re not holding out for love. You go after what you want. When I was your age, that wasn’t an option. Not in polite society anyway. I was born in the wrong time.”

Bree honest to God had no idea what to say. “I guess we have to work with what we have.” She tucked a flyer into the shopping bag. “Harding Burton is signing here in a couple of weeks.”

Ruth looked at the poster next to the counter. Her bright red lips curved into a smile. “He’s a good-looking man.”

Bree mentally shrugged. “I suppose.”

“You don’t think he’s exceptionally handsome? Those eyes, that smile. Isn’t he the one who was hit by a car and left for dead on the side of the road when he was just a teenager?” Ruth clucked her tongue. “So tragic. But he pulled through and walked again and now look at him.” Her gaze darted to Bree. “You should have your way with him and then tell me all about it.”

Bree held in a wince. “First, I’d never tell you about it and second, I don’t date authors.”

Between her late husband and her parents, she knew enough about the type to want to avoid them forever. At least on a personal basis. Work-wise, she was stuck. What with owning a bookstore and all.

“Harding seems exception-worthy,” Ruth told her. “He might have some interesting scars you could trace and—”

Bree held up her hands in the shape of a T. “Stop right there. If you’re interested in Harding’s scars, go for him. How could he resist you?”

“I’m old enough to be his mother.”

Grandmother, Bree mentally corrected, but kept silent. She had a soft spot for the ever-outspoken Ruth.

“Maybe he’s into older women,” she said instead.

“Wouldn’t that be nice.”

Ruth was still laughing when Bree walked her out of the store. Anson, Ruth’s driver, was waiting in the no-parking fire lane. Anson helped Ruth into the Mercedes. Bree stayed outside until the car drove away.

The Boardwalk Bookshop is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, BAM, Google Play, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, Kobo, Walmart, and Target.  Susan Mallery has Home Sweet Christmas publishing October 4.  You can find Susan Mallery's other novels here.  Thank you for stopping by today.  I hope I have helped you find a new book to read this summer.  I will return tomorrow with Season of my Enemy by Naomi Musch.  I hope that you have an enriching day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Summer Love by Nancy Thayer

Summer Love

Book Summary

Old secrets come to light when four friends gather on Nantucket for a life-changing reunion in this heartwarming novel of love and self-discovery by New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer.

When four strangers rent bargain-basement rooms in an old hotel near the beach, they embark on the summer of their lives. First there's Ariel Spencer, who has big dreams of becoming a writer and is looking for inspiration in Nantucket's high society. Her new friend Sheila Murphy is a good Catholic girl from Ohio whose desire for adventure is often shadowed by her apprehension. Then there's small-town Missourian Wyatt Smith, who's immediately taken with Ariel. The last of the four, Nick Volkov, is looking to make a name for himself and have a blast along the way. Despite their differences, the four bond over trips to the beach, Wednesday-night dinners, and everything that Nantucket has to offer. But venturing out on their own for the first time, with all its adventure and risks, could change the course of their lives.

Twenty-six years after that amazing summer, Ariel, Sheila, Wyatt, and Nick reunite at the hotel where they first met. Now it's called The Lighthouse and Nick owns the entire operation with his wife and daughter. Ariel and Wyatt, married for decades, arrive with their son, and Sheila's back too, with her daughter by her side. Life hasn't exactly worked out the way they had all hoped. Ariel's dreams have since faded and been pushed aside, but she's determined to rediscover the passion she once had. Nick has the money and reputation of a successful businessman, but is it everything he had hoped for? And Sheila has never been able to shake the secret she's kept since that summer. Being back together again will mean confronting the past and finding themselves. Meanwhile, the next generation discovers Nantucket: Their children explore the island together, experiencing love and heartbreak and forging lifelong bonds, just as their parents did all those years ago. It's sure to be one unforgettable reunion.

This delightful novel from beloved storyteller Nancy Thayer explores the potential of dreams and the beauty of friendship.

My Thoughts

Summer Love by Nancy Thayer is a story about friendship, summer fun, and secrets.  Ariel, Nick, Sheila, and Wyatt have just graduated from college.  The four of them have jobs on Nantucket Island for the summer.  They are the lucky four who have obtained accommodations in the basement of a hotel under renovation.  They work during the day and enjoy the island during their free time.  Twenty-six years later, the four reunite at the same hotel that is now owned by Nick.  They bring their children who are now in their early twenties just like they were when they first came to Nantucket.  Their “children” become friends and set off to enjoy Nantucket Island.  Summer Love is told in alternating chapters of this summer and that summer.  The point-of-view alternates between the characters.  We get to see the four roommates get to know each other and enjoy their summer on the island.  The four were from differing backgrounds.  Personally, I felt that they were not that close.  The only reason they spent time together is because they were roommates.  They even found each other annoying at times.  The pacing is mixed in Summer Love.  There are times it flew by and others when it moved at a snail’s pace.  I found the story to be predictable and I thought the characters lacked development.  The ending was just the end (anticlimactic).  It did not feel like everything came together.  Summer Love is the type of book you read when you want an uncomplicated book.  It is a good vacation story (a beach read).  I did feel that Nancy Thayer brought Nantucket Island alive.  I could envision the island with its quaint shops, the beach, the ocean, and the dingy basement rooms.  She also shows the diversity between the rich people who inhabit the island in the summer and the working class.   Summer Love is reminiscent of those essays we had to write at the beginning of the school year that detailed what we did over the summer.  Summer Love is a lighthearted tale about the scattered sand, the hot summer sun, the open ocean, plethora of parties, boastful bragging, a sinful secret, unsatisfied visions, and summer reunion.

Summer Love is available from Amazon*.  If you like the sound of Summer Love, read a sample to see if it suits you.  We each like different books which is why there are so many different genres.  You can follow Nancy Thayer on Amazon to receive an email when she has a new release.  I appreciate you stopping by today and reading my review.  Tomorrow I am a stop on the Celebrate Lit Tour for The Amish Twins Next Door by Vannetta Chapman.  It is the ninth book in Indiana Amish Brides series (each book can be read as a standalone).  I am off to get some chores done around the house.  I hope that you have a special day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Summer at the Cape by RaeAnne Thayne: Book Review & Excerpt!

 

Summer at the Cape

Book Summary

Summer at the Cape is the fourth original hardcover from New York Times, USA TODAY, and Publisher's Weekly bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne. With the emotional pull of Debbie Macomber, Barbara Delinsky, and Susan Wiggs, RaeAnne tells the story of the Porter sisters, Cami and Violet, who come together to mourn the death of Violet's twin, Lily. Over the course of the summer, the sisters must make peace with each other and also individually with their free-spirited, outspoken, activist mother who left their father two decades earlier.

As the older sister to identical twins Violet and Lily, Cami Porter had always been the odd sister out. The breach became even stronger when her parents split up—while the twins stayed in Cape Sanctuary with their free-spirited activist mother, Rosemary, fourteen-year-old Cami moved to L.A. with her by-the-book attorney father, Ted. Nearly twenty years later, when Cami gets the tragic news that Lily has drowned saving a child, Cami returns to her childhood home—her mother and Violet need her.

Lily had spent her entire life looking for something to be passionate about, and in leasing a property from neighbor Franklin Rafferty and setting up Coastal Pines Glamping, she was about to see her dream realized. Following her death, the sadness and grief Rosemary, Violet and Cami feel is compounded by Jon Rafferty, son of the neighbor whose land Lily had leased. Jon, who hadn't seen his father in years, is stunned to learn that his father is in the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease, and he worries that the Porter women took advantage of him. But Jon can see that the Porter family is in mourning and agrees they can keep the land through the summer, and then they'll need to shut the glamping site down.

Then there's Violet—the child Lily saved, Ariana Mendoza, is the daughter of Violet's former high school sweetheart, Alex Mendoza. She could never forgive him way back when for cheating on her, but she is so grateful that his adorable little girl is okay. Alex still has feelings for Violet, but he is overcome with grief and gratitude at the same time for the loss of Lily, who died saving his child.

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne finds inspiration in the beautiful northern Utah mountains where she lives with her family.   Her stories have been described as "poignant and sweet" with "beautiful honest storytelling that goes straight to the heart."  She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.raeannethayne.com.

Author Links

Author Website

Twitter: @raeannethayne

Facebook: RaeAnne Thayne

Instagram: raeannethayne

Goodreads

My Thoughts

Summer at the Cape by RaeAnne Thayne has Cami Porter and her younger sister, Violet heading to Cape Sanctuary.  Cami received an urgent call from her mother, Rosemary.  She finds herself in a pickle and needs her daughter’s legal expertise to resolve a lease dispute.  The family is still grieving over the loss of Violet’s twin sister, Lily who died in February saving two little girls.  Cami is also hoping this will allow her to grow closer to her sister and mother.  After her parent’s divorce when she was a teen, Cami lived with her father in Los Angeles while the twins lived with their mother in Cape Sanctuary.  She feels disconnected from them and hopes to rectify the matter.  She is unprepared for the handsome son of the next-door neighbor who is challenging the lease agreement.  Violet hopes she can get through the summer without seeing her old beau.  It has been ten years since he broke her heart, but she has yet to get over him.  In a town as small as Cape Sanctuary, that is too much to ask.  Every time Violet turns around, she runs into him and his sweet little girl.  It is going to be an unexpected summer for the Porter ladies.

Summer at the Cape is well-written with realistic characters and situations.  The story is told in alternating points-of-view (Cami, Jon, Violet).  I thought the author captured the beginning of Alzheimer’s with Franklin’s character.  I loved the town of Cape Sanctuary.  I can see why Rosemary loves to live there.  Cape Sanctuary is a caring community.  You could tell that Rosemary loves the area and she knows everyone who lives there.  It was interesting learning about the glamping business dreamed up by Violet’s twin, Lily.  The story delves into grief, family relationships, Alzheimer’s, second chance romance, forgiveness, and a new romance.  I liked seeing the characters grow, resolve their past issues, and move forward with hope in their hearts.  It is an emotional novel that is also uplifting.  It is a good escape novel (a good vacation book). I am glad the author included an epilogue. Summer at the Cape is a heartwarming tale with lease wrangling, a striking son, a grief-stricken sister, jovial glampers, a singular storyteller, an unforeseen romance, and a charming conclusion.

Excerpt

VIOLET

WILD, FRENZIED BARKING RANG OUT WHEN Violet Porter let herself into the back door of her mother’s comfortable kitchen at Moongate Farm.

Rosemary was nowhere in sight. Instead, a cranky-faced schnauzer–toy poodle mix planted himself in front of the door, telling her in no uncertain terms that she was an intruder who wasn’t welcome here.

“Hi, Baxter,” she said, mouth stretched thin in what she knew was an insincere smile. “How are you, buddy?”

Lily’s dog only growled at her, baring his teeth with his hack-les raised as if he wanted to rip her throat out.

The dog hated her. Violet wasn’t exactly sure why.

She might have thought he would look more fondly toward her, considering she was the identical twin to his late owner. But maybe that was the problem. Maybe the fact that she looked so much like Lily but clearly wasn’t her sister confused the dog and made him view her as a threat.

He had never really warmed to her, even when he lived in her condo with Lily. Since Lily’s death, he had become down-right hostile.

“Stop that. What’s gotten into you? I could hear you clear back in my bedroom.”

Her mother’s voice trailed out from down the hall, becoming louder as she approached the kitchen, still fastening an earring.

She stopped dead when she spotted Violet.

“Oh! Violet! You scared me! What are you doing here?”

“You invited me. Remember? You’ve known for months I was coming to help you out during my summer break.”

“You were coming tomorrow. Not today!”

Okay. That wasn’t exactly the warm welcome she might have expected, Violet thought wryly. Instead, her mother was staring at her with an expression that seemed a curious mix of chagrin and dismay.

She shrugged as Baxter continued to growl. Wasn’t anybody happy to see her?

“I finished cleaning out my classroom and calculating final grades this morning. Since all my things were already packed and loaded into my car, I couldn’t see any reason to wait until the morning to drive up. Is there a problem?”

Rosemary, usually so even-tempered, looked at her, then at the giant wrought iron clock on the wall of the Moongate Farm kitchen with a hint of panic in her eyes.

“No. It’s only…this is, er, a bit of a complication. I’m expecting dinner guests any moment.”

“That must be why it smells so good in here.”

It smelled like roasting vegetables mixed with garlic and cheese. Violet’s stomach rumbled loud enough she was certain her mother had to hear, but Rosemary didn’t seem to notice, looking at the clock again.

Why was she so nervous? Who was coming? If she didn’t know better, Violet might have suspected her mother was expecting a date.

Not impossible, she supposed. Her mother was still a beautiful woman, with high cheekbones, a wide smile and the deep blue eyes she had handed down to Violet and her identical twin.

Rosemary didn’t date much, though she’d had a few relationships since her divorce from Violet’s father.

As far as Violet knew, she had broken up with the most re-cent man she had dated more than a year earlier and Rosemary hadn’t mentioned anyone else.

Then again, just as Violet didn’t tell her mother everything that went on in her life in Sacramento, Rosemary likely had secrets of her own here in Cape Sanctuary.

“No problem,” she said, trying for a cheerful tone. “You don’t have to worry about feeding me. If I get hungry later, I’ll make a sandwich or something. I’ll get out of your way.”

“You’re not in the way,” Rosemary protested. “It’s just, well…” She didn’t have time to finish before a knock sounded at the back door. Baxter, annoying little beast, gave one sharp bark, sniffed at the door, then plopped down expectantly.

Violet thought she heard a man’s deep voice say something on the other side of the door and then a child’s laughter in response.

Something about that voice rang a chord. She frowned, suddenly unsettled. “Mom. Who are you expecting?”

“Just some…some friends from town,” Rosemary said vaguely. She heard the man’s voice again and her disquiet turned into full-fledged dismay.

No. Rosemary wouldn’t have. Would she?

“Mom. Who’s here?” Her voice sounded shrill and she was quite sure Rosemary could pick up on it.

“I didn’t know you were coming tonight,” her mom said defensively. “You told me you were coming tomorrow, so I…I invited Alexandro and his daughter for dinner. He’s been such a help to me with Wild Hearts. I could never have set up all those tents or moved in the furniture without him. I’ve been meaning to have him and his daughter over for dinner but the time got away from me, until here we are. I’m sorry. You weren’t supposed to be here until tomorrow and I didn’t think it would be a problem.”

The news hit her like a hatchet to the chest. Alex was here, on the other side of the door. Alex, who had once been her best friend, the man she thought would be her forever.

Alex, who had betrayed her.

She had seen him exactly twice since they broke up a decade ago.

One previous encounter had been a few years after he married Claudia Crane, when she had bumped into him at the grocery store while home from college for a brief visit.

The second time had been four months earlier at Lily’s memorial service.

That was two times too many, really. Three encounters was asking far too much of her.

She wanted to jump back into her car and head back to Sacramento.

No. This was silly. She had known she would see him this summer. How could she avoid it? Cape Sanctuary was a small town. Not only that, but his house and boat charter business were both just down the road from Moongate Farm.

The concept had seemed fine in the abstract. Like algebra and the periodic table.

It had been nearly a decade, after all. She was a completely different person from that besotted girl she had once been.

He meant nothing to her anymore. She should be able to blithely chat with him about what he had been up to the past decade.

Yeah. Not happening.

Maybe she could turn around, climb back into her car and go hang out at The Sea Shanty until he was gone.

No. That was just kicking the can down the road. She had to face him eventually. Why not now?

She could come up with a dozen reasons, but none of them seemed compelling enough for her to flee without at least saying hello.

“I’m sorry,” Rosemary said again, her hand on the doorknob. “It’s fine, Mom. Don’t worry about it. Don’t leave them standing outside. I’ll just say hello and then head over to the bunk-house to settle in. You won’t even know I’m here. It will be fine.”

She didn’t believe that for a minute, but she forced herself to put on a pleasant smile as her mother opened the door.

And there he was.

As gorgeous as ever, with those thick dark eyelashes, strong features, full mouth that could kiss like no one else she had ever met…

Her toes curled at the unwelcome memories and she forced her attention away from Alex to the young girl standing beside him. She had dark hair that swung to her shoulders, bright brown eyes and dimples like her father.

Right now she was staring at Violet like she had just grown a second head.

“Miss Lily?” she whispered, big brown eyes wide and mouth ajar.

Of course. Ariana thought Violet was her sister. It was a natural mistake, as they were identical twins, though as an adult, Vi had mostly seen the differences between them.

She approached the girl with the same patient, reassuring mile she used in her classroom when one of her students was upset about something.

“Hi there,” she said calmly, doing her best to ignore Alex’s intense gaze for now. “You must be Ariana. I’m Violet. Lily was my twin sister.”

“You look just like her,” the girl said breathlessly. Her gaze narrowed. “Except I think maybe your hair is a little shorter than hers was. And she had a tattoo of flowers on her wrist and you don’t.”

When they were in college, Lily had insisted on getting a tiny bouquet of flowers, intertwined lilies and violets and camellias to represent the three Porter sisters.

She had begged Violet and Cami to both get one, too. Cami, older by two years and always far more mature than either Vi or Lily, had politely explained that she didn’t want any tattoos because of the serious nature of the law career she was pursuing. Violet had promised she would but then kept putting it off.

She still could go get a tattoo. After Lily’s death, she had thought more seriously about it, but the loss of her sister was always with her. She didn’t need a mark on her skin to remind her Lily wasn’t here.

She forced a smile for the girl. “Right. No tattoo. That’s one sure way of telling us apart.”

Plus, she was alive and Lily wasn’t. But she wasn’t cruel enough to say that out loud, especially not to this child.

Lily had drowned after rescuing Ariana and a visiting friend when a rogue wave from an offshore winter storm dragged the girls out to sea. Lily had somehow managed to get both girls back to safety, but the Pacific had been relentless that day, and before Lily could climb out herself, another wave had pulled her under.

Violet certainly couldn’t blame this child for a cruel act of nature.

Or for her parentage.

Are you ready to read Summer at the Cape? Summer at the Cape is available from Amazon*, Harlequin, Barnes & Noble, BookShop.org, Books-A-Million, and Powell’s.  You can find RaeAnne Thayne's other novels here on Amazon.  Thank you for stopping by today.  Tomorrow I am sharing my thoughts on The Burning Pages by Paige Shelton.  It is the seventh A Scottish Bookshop Mystery.  I am off to take my mother to get her shingles shot and her Covid booster.  I just hope that I can get her out of the house on time.  I am fortunate that we do not have to go far for the appointment (less than ten minutes away). I hope that you have a charming day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

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