Book Review…The Cliff House by RaeAnne Thayne

Summary by Goodreads:

Three women—two sisters and their aunt—and the cliff house on the northern California coast that served as a beacon to them all…

After the death of their mother, sisters Daisy and Beatriz Davenport found a home with their aunt Stella in the beautiful and welcoming town of Cape Sanctuary. They never knew all the dreams that Stella sacrificed to ensure they had everything they’d ever need. Now, with Daisy and Bea grown, it’s time for Stella to reveal the secret she’s been keeping from them—a secret that will change their family forever.

Bea thought she’d sown all her wild oats when she got pregnant far too young. The marriage that followed was rocky and not destined to last, but it gave Bea her wonderful, mature, now eleven-year-old daughter, Marisol. But just as she’s beginning to pursue a new love with an old friend, Bea’s ex-husband resurfaces and turns their lives completely upside down.

Then there’s Daisy—sensible, rational, financially prudent Daisy. She’s never taken a risk in her life—until she meets a man who makes her question everything she thought she knew about life, love and the power of taking chances.

In this heartwarming story, Stella, Bea and Daisy will discover that the path to true happiness is filled with twists and turns, but love always leads them back home.

“‘It will be hard to say goodbye.’ … It never got easier, she had found.”

My Thoughts:

Well, I still have tears in my eyes from reading this beautiful novel by RaeAnne Thayne. I finished it a few moments ago and rushed to my computer. I love, love, love books that can make me cry. It shows the writers’ abilities at creating likable characters or developing beautiful messages–or it simply shows their talent at getting you so engrossed in a book that you cry over its beauty and because it’s over. That’s how I feel about The Cliff House. It was recommended to me by my amazing grandma (truly, she should have this book blog because she always recommends to me the greatest books–both of my grandmas actually [love you both!!!]) and I wasn’t sure what to expect as I began reading. But, as you can tell, I have nothing but praises for The Cliff House.

RaeAnne Thayne’s writing style was very easy to read. She didn’t overdo it with wordy descriptions, yet I could see each scene vividly and with beauty. The storylines were very easy to follow as well. And her character development! Wow! Some writers give you every detail of a character’s history the moment you meet them, but not Thayne. You were still learning important parts of each character during the last few chapters that only made you love each character even more. Not to mention, she wrote the characters to be so likable, so relatable, so REAL, and so inspiring. I loved how you could follow each person’s storyline and how well Thayne was able to keep them separated, but also how well she was able to intertwine them. I envy Thayne’s writing style.

Daisy. Beatriz. And Stella. (And Gabe.) The story is told from each of these character’s POVs, and each chapter is titled with a character’s name so you know whose POV you are reading–which worked REALLY well for this novel.

Daisy is my favorite. She’s calculated, organized, hides her emotions, fears love, but is a caregiver and so, so strong. Her storyline is my favorite–involving a dog you fall in love with and a man you can’t help but want. (Sometimes I get angry at writers for making a man seem TOO perfect and TOO not real, but this character combines perfection and realness to create the perfect male love interest.)

Beatriz is an artistic little spitfire that reminded me a lot of my own sister. She is thrust into a love triangle and is confused about what she wants. But she finds her own strength to be able to decide what her heart really desires and she becomes brave enough to stop pleasing everybody in order to please herself.

Stella. Oh, dear Stella. Her storyline tugs at your heartstrings the most and you want nothing but the best for her. She is Daisy’s and Bea’s aunt and wants nothing more in the world than to be a mother. Stella teaches us so much about strength, bravery, nurturing, and determination.

I could go on and on about how beautiful this novel was. But I want to touch on one last thing: The messages of these stories. I LOVE books that have a deeper message or a lesson for the readers. I was inspired. I was inspired to keep going in life. No matter how hard life gets or what trials are thrown at you, just keep going. As one of the characters says, “Everything that has come before has led us to this moment.” You will have your happy ending. You just have to keep going, keep seeing each experience as a stepping stone. Remain positive and confident with yourself and what you want and who you are. Good things will come.

Boom. Read this book. Let it inspire you, let it entertain you, and let it wrap you up in its arms–for it’s definitely a comfort read.

“Everything that has come before has led us to this moment. And I wouldn’t change this moment for anything.”

I recommend this book to…

…people going through a rough time. People looking for a fun read that helps you escape reality. People who need inspiration to keep going. Teenagers, adults–mostly women, but everybody can read this. People who love romances. People who love female writers. People who love feel-good books. Gift it to your mom, your daughter, your friend, your grandma–they will all love it.

Comfort Guide:

Hardly any swear words except for maybe 5 throughout. No “F” words. Two sexual suggestions/innuendoes near the beginning but nothing else throughout. Brief mention of rape.

Info:

Author – RaeAnne Thayne

Published – 2019

Page Count – 384

Buy Here: (Kindle)