Review of A BRAMBLEBERRY SUMMER by RaeAnne Thayne

*Happy to be part of this summer blog tour!*

Although this book is a part of a series, I have not read any of the other books and was able to thoroughly enjoy the story of Rosa and Wyatt as if it were a standalone. Rosa Galvez lives and works in the little beach town of Cannon Beach, managing the Brambleberry House apartments and running a little souvenir shop. She is totally content with her solitary life, letting into her heart her Irish setter Fiona. Then a new police officer needs a place to stay while his home is being repaired, so he takes at apartment at Brambleberry. Wyatt is recently widowed and has a young, precocious son names Logan. All of the characters were so realistically portrayed that I felt as though I could meet them on the street and instantly know who they were. I felt a great affinity for Rosa, a woman who has a lot of secrets in her past but who is determined to just hold them close and not let anyone touch her heart. Logan, however, could break a heart of stone and that is where Rosa begins to see that she needs to tell others about her past and let go of it. There is building suspense in this book which was unexpected for me since I was thinking this would be just a lighthearted romance. The romance was there, but the road to it was rocky and filled with intrigue. That kept me engaged and reading quickly so I could find out what Rosa’s secrets were and if she could overcome them in order to establish a lasting relationship with Wyatt. Two people with overwhelming hurts in their past discover love, so that was very heartwarming, if totally predictable. What was not predictable was all of the detours that they had to take to get to their happy ending. The plot was very well done, with some unexpected twists and even a sub-plot involving another tenant in the house, Jen and her daughter Addie. The multiple layers also added interest for me as I got to know more of the characters and felt empathy for them. The author did a masterful job of creating an engaging plot, characters with heart and soul, and an ending that wrapped everything up with a bow. Fans of romance will enjoy this journey to Cannon Beach!
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.”

*Photo is from the author’s website at* http://www.raeannethayne.com

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 at www.raeannethayne.com.

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EXCERPT:

A Brambleberry Summer – Excerpt

RaeAnne Thayne

Now that the deed was done, Rosa was having second, third and fourth thoughts about Wyatt Townsend moving in downstairs.

Why had she ever thought this would work?

That evening as she pulled weeds in the backyard after leaving the store, she had to fight all her instincts that were urging her to call up Carrie right now and tell her she had made a mistake. The apartment was no longer available.

“There is no law against changing your mind, is there?” she asked out loud to Fiona, who was lying in the grass nearby, watching butterflies dance amid the climbing roses.

The dog gave her a curious look then turned back to her business, leaving Rosa to sigh. She yanked harder at a stubborn weed that had driven deep roots into the ground.

She would do nothing. She had given her word and could not back out now. Integrity, keeping her word, was important. She had learned that first from her own mother and then from her adopted parents.

Lauren and Daniel Galvez were two of the most honorable people she knew. They would never think of reneging on a promise and she couldn’t, either.

Yes, Wyatt made her extremely nervous. She did not want him moving in downstairs. But she had given her word to his sister. End of story.

Because of that, she would be gracious and welcoming to him and to his sweet son.

Thinking about Logan left her feeling a little bit better about the decision. He was a very adorable boy, with good manners and a ready smile.

It was not the boy’s fault that Wyatt made her so nervous.

She had almost talked herself into at least accepting the new status quo, when an SUV pulled up to the house a half hour later.

Fiona lifted her head to sniff the air, then rose and hurried over to the vehicle to greet the newcomers.

Rosa climbed to her feet a little more slowly, pulled off her gloves and swiped at her hair before she headed for the vehicle. She might be accepting of her new tenants, but summoning the same kind of enthusiasm her dog showed so readily would be a stretch.

When Rosa reached the vehicle, Logan was opening the back door and jumping to the ground, his little dog close behind.

Fiona barked a greeting, then leaned in to sniff the newcomer, tail wagging. The Townsends’ dog sniffed back, and a moment later, the two were circling each other with joy.

At least Fiona was happy to have them here.

“Hello, Logan,” Rosa said.

“Hi.” The boy beamed at her, showing off a gap in his teeth that she found adorable.

“Guess what?” he said. “We’re moving into your house! Dad says we can stay here until our house is done and I’ll have my own bedroom and won’t have to sleep in Aunt Carrie’s sewing room anymore.”

“This is so wonderful, no?” She smiled down at him, trying not to pay any attention to his father walking around the vehicle, looking big and serious and intimidating.

“What is the name of your dog?”

“This is Hank. Don’t worry. He’s nice.”

“I never doubted it for a minute,” she assured him. “Hello, Hank.”

She reached down to pet the dog, who responded by rolling over to have his belly scratched. Rosa loved him immediately.

“This is Fiona. She is also very nice.”

Logan grinned and petted Fiona’s long red coat.

Wouldn’t it be lovely if she only had to deal with the boy and the dog? Unfortunately, the boy had a father. She had to say something to Wyatt, at least. Bracing herself, she lifted her attention from the two dogs and the boy, and faced the man who always looked as if he could see through her skin and bones into her heart, and was not convinced he liked what he saw.