Claire Bradford needed a wake-up call. What she didn't
need was a tragic car accident. As a single mom and the
owner of a successful bead shop, Claire leads a
predictable life in Hope's Crossing, Colorado.
So what is she has no time for romance? At least, that's
what she tells herself, especially when her best friend's
sexy younger brother, Riley McKnight, comes back to town
as the new chieft of police.
But when the accident forces Claire to slow down and lean
on others - especially Riley - she realizes, for the first
time, that things need to chane. And not just in her own
life. The accident - and the string of robberies committed
by teenagers that led up to it - is a wake-up call to the
people of Hope's Crossing. The sense of community and
togetherness has been lost during those tough years.
But with a mysterious "Angel of Hope" working to inspire
the town, Riley and Claire will find themselves opening up
to love and other possibilities by the end of an
extraordinary summer....
I am a huge fan of stories set in small towns. That means that when I saw the blurb for Blackberry Summer I had to read it. I hadn't ever read RaeAnne Thayne, but as I turned the last page of Blackberry Summer I knew that I had found a new author to follow.
Blackberry Summer is basically the story of Claire and Riley. They grew up in the same small town, but life took them on different journeys, but eventually the twists and turns of those journeys brought their paths back together.
Claire is a few years older than Riley, and this is the first book I can recall personally reading with a heroine older than the hero. However if the age difference wasn't mentioned periodically I would have easily forgotten about it as I got emotionally involved in the ups and downs of Clair and Riley's relationship.
For those readers who are fans of Robyn Carr and Susan Wiggs and the small town environments they have created I suggest they check out RaeAnne Thayne and her town of Hope's Crossing in Blackberry Summer. I don't think they'll be disappointed. (Sandi Shilhanek 8:06am August 5, 2011)