The Cliff House by RaeAnne Thayne

4*

After their mother dies of an overdose and they spend a year in separate foster homes, sisters Daisy and Bea Davenport are adopted by their young aunt Stella and raised in the beautiful Northern California coastal town of Cape Sanctuary. The experience is so positive that Stella dedicates her life to fostering more children, a charitable organization to help foster families make the experience a positive one, and teaching at the local middle school. Now that her nieces are grown women living independent lives, Stella decides to fulfill some of the dreams she sacrificed years before. When she runs into the college sweetheart she left behind, she is given a second chance at love she’d never expected.

Bea, an artist who got pregnant by one of the foster kids (now a major rock star named Cruz) had a rocky marriage that ended in divorce years before. Now she’s eager to pursue a romance with her long-time friend, former NFL player and local football coach Shane, but, just as she’s about to act on her feelings, Cruz, who was attacked and injured by the jealous husband of a fan, shows up to convalesce and try to convince her to give him another shot. Should she try again for the sake of their daughter or hope for a future with Shane?

On the surface, Daisy seems to be the polar opposite of Bea, a repressed, sensible accountant who is averse to risk-taking…until she meets Gabe, a documentary filmmaker who pushes her to open up and question the way she’s been living her life. She is also carrying a secret that, if revealed, might make her carefully-constructed world fall apart. Why is she trying so hard to repress the carefree, creative parts of her personality?

Thayne, author of the Haven Point series, has written a complex, emotionally-satisfying standalone romance (three in one, actually) that has more than the typical plot points to happily-ever-after. There is the love between the three female protagonists, Stella’s admirable dedication to improving the foster care system, multiple points of view that help develop the main characters, and a couple of mysteries to be revealed. Give this to fans of Sarah Morgan and Susan Wiggs. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Harlequin Romance through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.