In 🎧︎Summer at The Cape, Thayne delivered a heart-warming story about second chances served up with a side of romance. The story kept me engaged from start to finish. Filled with relatable characters, loss, healing, hope, growth and joy, Thayne took me on an interesting and emotional journey.
From the beloved bestselling author of Season of Wonder and The Cliff House I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
Title: Summer at the Cape
Author(s): RaeAnne Thayne
Narrator(s): Carly Robins
Published by Harlequin Audio on April 5, 2022
Pages: 324
Length: 9 hours and 12 minutes
Genre(s): Women's Fiction
Source: Netgalley, Scribd
Format: Audiobook, eArc 
Purchase: Amazon|B&N|Audible
Rating: 
Heat Level: 
comes a poignant and uplifting novel about forgiveness, family and all the complications—and joy
—
that come with it
As the older sibling to identical twins Violet and Lily, Cami Porter was always the odd sister out. The divide grew even wider when their parents split up—while the twins stayed in Cape Sanctuary with their free-spirited mother, Rosemary, fourteen-year-old Cami moved to LA with her attorney father. Nearly twenty years later, when Cami gets the terrible news that Lily has drowned saving a child’s life, her mother begs her to return home to help untangle the complicated estate issues her sister left behind.
Navigating their own strained relationship, Cami readjusts to the family and community she hasn’t known for decades, including the neighbor who stands in the way of her late sister’s dream, while Violet grieves the loss of her twin and struggles to figure out who she is now, without her other half, as the little girl Lily saved pulls her back into the orbit of the man she once loved.
With poignancy and heart, RaeAnne Thayne once again delivers her charming signature blend of warmth, wit and wisdom.
SUMMARY
Cami Porter is a successful contracts attorney living in Los Angeles. When she was fourteen, her parents divorced. Cami went to live with her father while her twin sisters, Violet and Lily, stayed with their mother in Cape Sanctuary. While Cami followed in her father’s footsteps by becoming an attorney, Violet teaches special needs children and Lily has yet to settle on a career. Because of the distance, Cami never developed a bond with her sisters. She felt like an outcast. However, the lack of a sibling bond never stopped them from loving each other. Therefore, the news of Lilly’s death devastated her. Then her mother pleads with her to return to Cape Sanctuary to sort out a complex legal issue Lilly’s death created. Despite not looking forward to the trip, Cami heads to Cape Sanctuary. While there, she experiences life changing moments.
Told from alternating POVs 🎧︎Summer at the Cape was a poignant story of second chances. It featured relatable characters caught up in realistic circumstances. Despite the display of strength portrayed by each of the characters, they were flawed. Their fears, struggles, and doubts came alive.
The story touched on loss, grief and heartbreak. Broken relationships were repaired and new ones formed. I enjoyed all the story offered. However, there was one element of this heartwarming tale that resonated with me. It relates to how Thayne wove the effects of Lewy Body Dementia on not only the patient but also on those close to the individual into the story.
In this story, readers get three romances, two of which involved a second chance at love. Readers familiar with the author will know not to expect any steamy moments. Losing someone is never easy, and it made me glad to see Cami, Violet and their mom supporting each other during their time of grief.
The story ended on a beautiful note. It left the reader in a good place, seeing it all come together for all involved. 🎧︎ Summer at the Cape was a beautifully written story that will grip you from start and melt your heart in the end. Perfect for readers of women’s fiction with a dash of romance on the side.
Narration
Carly Robins narrates. I enjoyed her performance in the past and this time was no different. She brought the characters to life and allowed their personalities to shine through. Her tone, expression and pacing were perfect, which enhanced my listening experience and increased my enjoyment of the story.
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About Carly Robins
Carly Robins is an actress and voice-over artist. She can be heard on commercials, video games, and promos. Carly comes to narration with a passion for performance along with the capability to span several genres, from romance to children’s literature and thrillers.
About RaeAnne Thayne
I’m not one of those people who knew from birth she was destined to become a writer. I always loved to read and throughout my childhood I could usually be found with a book in my hands. To the disgust of my friends, I even enjoyed creative writing assignments that made them all groan. But I had other dreams besides writing. I wanted to be an actress or a teacher or a lawyer. Life took a different turn for me, though, when my mother made me take a journalism elective in high school (thanks, Mom!). I knew the first day that this was where I belonged. After I graduated from college in journalism, I took a job at the local daily newspaper and I reveled in the challenge and the diversity of it. One day I could be interviewing the latest country music star, the next day I was writing about local motorcycle gangs or interviewing an award-winning scientist. Through it all — through the natural progression of my career from reporter to editor — I wrote stories in my head. Not just any stories, either, but romances, the kind of books I have devoured since junior high school, with tales about real people going through the trials and tribulations of life until they find deep and lasting love. I had no idea how to put these people on paper, but knew I had to try — their stories were too compelling for me to ignore. I sold my first book in 1995 and now, more than 60 books later, I’ve come to love everything about writing, from the click of the computer keys under my fingers to the “that’s—it!” feeling I get when a story is flowing. I write full-time now (well, as full-time as I can manage juggling my kids!) amid the raw beauty of the northern Utah mountains. Even though I might not have dreamed of being a writer when I was younger, now I simply can’t imagine my life any other way.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
I love Summer at the Cape as well! RaeAnne Thayne is a master at books like this.
I love that this focuses on family and second chances. The observation about how a person’s illness affects the family gives it an extra emotional dynamic.
Ive seen this reviewed around and I love her stories so I’ll have to check this out. Thanks Nadene
I really like that this book features relatable characters and realistic circumstances, this always makes for quite an emotional read.
Thanks for the great review, that sounds really good.
Sounds like a really heartfelt read. I always love stories that focuses on family, so I’ll definitely give this one a try. Awesome review Nadene 🙂
OoOooh, three romances and second chances. Absolutely something I would enjoy.