Summer at the Cape: A Novel

RaeAnne Thayne

Apr 2022 · Cape Sanctuary Book 4 · Sold by HQN Books

About this ebook

AN INSTANT BESTSELLER!

“Thayne's characters are multidimensional people who care not only for those near-and-dear but also for others who need help, and this lovely romance offers a gentle depiction of many family challenges.”—Booklist on Summer at the Cape

From the beloved bestselling author of Season of Wonder and The Cliff House comes a poignant and uplifting novel about forgiveness, family and all the complications—and joy—that come with it

As the older sibling to identical twins Violet and Lily, Cami Porter was always the odd sister out. The divide grew even wider when their parents split up—while the twins stayed in Cape Sanctuary with their free-spirited mother, Rosemary, fourteen-year-old Cami moved to LA with her attorney father. Nearly twenty years later, when Cami gets the terrible news that Lily has drowned saving a child’s life, her mother begs her to return home to help untangle the complicated estate issues her sister left behind.

Navigating their own strained relationship, Cami readjusts to the family and community she hasn’t known for decades, including the neighbor who stands in the way of her late sister’s dream, while Violet grieves the loss of her twin and struggles to figure out who she is now, without her other half, as the little girl Lily saved pulls her back into the orbit of the man she once loved.

Don't miss the enchanting holiday tale, THE DECEMBER MARKET by RaeAnne Thayne, a story of second chances, family, and unexpected love, set in the charming town of Shelter Springs, where the spirit of Christmas brings two reluctant hearts together.

Get lost in more stories by RaeAnne Thayne:

• The December Market
• 15 Summers Later
• Christmas at the Shelter Inn
• The Café at Beach End
• All is Bright

Ratings and reviews

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.

The story of the grieving Porter family and their path to a new future is one that tugged at my heart strings and that resonated with me because of the different circumstances of each family member. When Lily Porter dove into the ocean to save two drowning girls, she was doing what came naturally to her, but she gave her life for the little ones. Rosemary, her mom, decided to go ahead with Lily’s plan to start a “glampground” on the headlands of the beach and is determined to make it a success. Lily’s twin sister Violet, a special education teacher in Sacramento, returns home to help her mom with the campers and to find her own peace in the midst of her grieving. Cami, the lawyer like her father Ted, comes home to also help her mom and her sister, but first she has to mend some broken bridges with them. The family has been torn apart by Ted and Rosemary’s divorce years before the story begins, and they have never really healed. Ted and Cami stayed in the city practicing law while Rosemary and the twins moved to Moongate Farm and pursued a rural life. The story is a complicated one, with a sub plot of a neighbor suffering from dementia and the dilemma that he does not recall giving Lily permission to use his land for the campground. When his son Jon returns from Guatemala where he is pursuing his passion as an archeologist, he comes with the idea in his mind that he has to seek justice for his father Frank and get his land back that the Porters have tricked him into leasing. Although there is a lot of backstory to the story, the author did a masterful job of creating the layers so that they flowed seamlessly into each other. Her greatest accomplishment, in my opinion, was the characterization of each person in the story. Even the minor characters took on a life of their own, with flaws and human frailties that were evident and portrayed realistically. I enjoyed the small town feel of the setting, the ups and downs of resolving the conflict and the emotions that were an undercurrent throughout the story. There is romance involved between multiple characters, but I was delighted that it was presented tastefully without the steamy details that make me roll my eyes. This is a good, wholesome and sweet romance with a lot of drama and many characters with whom I could identify with at least part of what was happening to them. The plot was fast-paced and absorbing, so I finished the book in only a few days, wanting to know the resolution as much as the characters did. I would highly recommend this book to any reader who enjoys an intricately woven and character-driven plot with relatable characters. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This is a toss-up for me between clean romance and women's fiction. It definitely has both genres, so let's just call it a mix. The story revolves around a family who comes together after the death of one of the daughters--one half of twins. The death leaves divorced parents and two sisters, Cami and Violet, who went with different parents after the divorce and who really don't know each other anymore. There's also a glamping business, the dream of the sister that died, that may be in jeopardy The story is sprinkled with mild romances that bring incredible secondary characters into the story that are actually a vital part of the story. There's a neighbor with suspected dementia and his son who has just returned to protect his family property that the glamping tents are on. There's Violet's old flame who broke her heart and his young daughter. The story is one of family, pain, distrust, regrets, healing and love. RaeAnne Thayne's books are always incredible. I totally lose myself, can't read fast enough and don't want the book to ever end. I highly recommend this book! I was gifted a copy of this book via the author. All thoughts are my own.

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 books have won numerous honors, including six RITA Award nominations from Romance Writers of America and Career Achievement and Romance Pioneer awards from RT Book Reviews. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website.