Leave it to this prolific author to rip out a headline in the news and create a wonderful, caring story. That about sums up what RaeAnne Thayne did with THE CAFÉ AT BEACH END. Some would arguably say that anyone even remotely connected to a man who creates a Ponzi scheme is as guilty as the conniving culprit. After all, how could you be married to a man and be totally unaware of what crimes he has committed? Certainly, at least, you are an accomplice. And for Meredith her entire world collapsed after her husband was found guilty and so was she by association.
Meredith enjoyed a lavish lifestyle while married to Carter Rowland. Everything they owned had been taken away. But most disturbing was how alone Meredith was left. Everyone turned their backs on her. She needed to reinvent herself and so she headed, penniless, to Cape Sanctuary in northern California where she had spent countless joyful summers with her grandmother Frances. Frances had passed and left one of three cabins along the shoreline to Meredith. One of the cabins was owned by her cousin Tori, leaving one cabin to be leased out.
To say the least, Meredith’s return was not welcome by Tori. Lots of bad feelings over things that happened in the past. Tori is now raising her teenage daughter having lost her husband several years ago, as well as running the Beach End Café. Tori had to acknowledge that Meredith had been left almost half ownership of the café and Spindrift cabin. Tori took care of Frances as her illness progressed and carried all the financial burdens. So you can imagine how Tori felt when in walks Meredith suggesting that Tori buy out her portion of the café and was becoming her neighbor.
But all that sounds mean-spirited and that is not at all what RaeAnne Thayne intended. In fact, there are so many reasons why the return of Meredith could be the salve both cousins desperately need.
We are going to meet a splendid cadre of characters that surround Tori’s world and now will become a part of Meredith’s as well. Tori’s brother-in-law Sam, who is sheriff, and his daughter, hold a special place in the lives of Tori and her daughter. They are both dealing with teenage daughters--that says a lot.
Then there is the writer who has rented the third cabin, looking for quiet and solitude to while penning his first book. From the start, we suspect there is an ulterior meaning to that, but Liam and his dog manage to win our hearts.
THE CAFÉ AT BEACH END is about fighting your way through the muck and mire created by someone else. It is about picking yourself up by the proverbial bootstraps and starting over. To do that you do have to face down your enemies and when those are close to home that makes it exceptionally challenging. In the end, love conquers all. Throughout THE CAFÉ AT BEACH END, we are faced with learning how to do with less, facing down foes, accepting help, facing a new future, and opening our hearts. With the amazing pen of RaeAnne Thayne, all things are possible even when it seems as if the walls are crushing.
The dynamics of the characters and their interaction are created using some of the best dialogue around. Another one of this prolific author's talents. If you like happy endings then THE CAFÉ AT BEACH END will surprise and entertain you.
For fans of Debbie Macomber and Susan Wiggs, an emotional story of starting over and reclaiming happiness.
When Meredith Collins was a child, the little beach town of Cape Sanctuary lived up to its name. Spending summers there with her grandmother, Meredith finally felt safe and loved.
Now she’s returning in disgrace. Her late ex-husband swindled investors out of millions of dollars and made Meredith a figure of scorn—though she knew nothing about his scheme. But she still has the beach cottage she inherited from her grandmother and half ownership of the local café. It’s a place to work and earn a little money. That’s if her cousin, Tori, will let her through the door. Once, Tori and Meredith were as close as sisters—until Meredith chose her neglectful parents’ expectations over their bond. Now widowed with a teenage daughter, Tori isn’t setting out a welcome mat for the woman who let her down so badly.
While Meredith tries to make a fresh start, she is drawn to a mysterious writer renting the cottage next door. Liam Byrne’s kindness is a balm, though she worries he might not be so friendly if he knew who she was. But Liam has his own secret and a mission that will help Meredith confront her past—and maybe, claim a surprising future…
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