After their mother dies, half sisters Daisy and Beatriz are raised by their aunt Stella (their mother’s sister) who puts her life on hold to raise her sister’s children. Now, the two girls are grown with their own lives to pursue. Told in four (4) POVs: Daisy, Beatriz, Stella, and Gabe; The Cliff House tackles several subjects - fostering children, divorce, death, late in life pregnancies, second chances.

Daisy is rational, sensible, and hasn’t taken one risk in her life. That is until she meets Gabe. He makes her question everything, and he himself has questions such as her reluctance to share the identity of a talented artist by “Marguerite”.

Beatriz is a single, divorced mother. Her ex-husband, one of Stella’s former “fosters”, is a famous musician who is recovering from a stalker’s attack there in Cape Sanctuary. While the marriage was short lived, Bea is thankful for her 11 year old daughter, Marisol. However, Cruz’ return makes Bea’s quest to move on with her life harder. She’s also finding herself thinking more and more about Shane who has been her best friend since childhood.

Stella, now 40, is pregnant. But, she isn’t upset about it. She’s thankful and had been waiting for a long time for the news. She is rocked when a former love, Ed (now a widower), shows up in town with his daughter. Ed is an OB-GYN going into practice with Stella’s doctor.

Gabe is an Academy Award nominated documentary film-maker who happened to save Cruz’ life and enters Daisy’s life as he is recuperating at Cruz’ house there in Cape Sanctuary.

Thayne focuses on three (3) romances at a time:

* Bea/Shane/Cruz

* Daisy/Gabe

* Stella/Ed

The premise of this book sounded riveting and I couldn’t wait to read it. And, as much as I TRIED to LOVE it … I couldn’t. It didn’t work.

I don’t know if it was the four person POV formula, the multiple romances, or the characters – or all of it – it just didn’t work for me.

Stella’s story was so beautiful I felt she really deserved her own stand alone book. Her reason for pushing Ed away all those years ago was genuine and showed selflessness at an age where most people would be selfish. She was just 10 years older than Daisy, and was caring for her nieces at a time when she should’ve been living her life. I felt as though Ed could’ve been more sympathetic towards her regarding “why” she did what she did. I was glad that her story had a happier ending and would’ve liked to have seen that stretched out a bit more.

I felt sorry for Bea with regard to the Shane and Cruz mess. I felt she was quite strong with Cruz and setting boundaries, yet she seemed weak in trying to tell Shane what she was feeling. I was proud of her daughter Marisol for being assertive with her father with regard to the Father/Daughter Pinewood Derby. For being 11, she seemed like the most mature of the characters.

Daisy was a bit too cold and distant for me. The author established a good reason, but while that aloofness worked with strangers, the attitude with her own sister and aunt was off-putting. After a while the sympathy wore off and she wore my nerves down. After a while I wanted to skip her chapters completely.

All in all, this wasn’t the WORST book I’ve read. It wasn’t the best either. I am glad that I was able to get it from the library though. For me it was a one and done kind of read.

Fans of the author might enjoy this, though some may not. ( )

4.5 stars.
The Cliff House by RaeAnne Thayne is an engaging novel of family, love and healing.

Daisy Daveport McClure is a no-nonsense accountant who lives an orderly, controlled life. Which is why she is so surprised when an adorable stray dog completely steals her heart. And so does Gabe Ellison, the stranger who found the cute little dog. Is it possible that she is ready to open her heart to the possibility of love? Or is Daisy's complicated past going to prevent her from taking a risk on happiness?

Beatriz "Bea" Romero is the complete opposite of her older sister Daisy. Bea is spontaneous and open to new adventures but as a divorced mom, her life is bit more structured nowadays. She has a friendly relationship with her ex-husband, bad boy rocker Cruz, but she is stunned when he wants to get back together with her. Not only does she have nothing in common with her ex, but Bea has recently realized she is in love with her best friend, Shane Landry. She is finding it difficult to convince Cruz she has no interest in a reconciliation. Bea has finally worked up the courage to confess her feelings to Shane, but will he believe her?

Daisy and Bea's beloved aunt Stella raised them following their mother's death. She is also a beloved teacher and foster mom who works tirelessly to raise money for her charity. Having put her life on hold for many years, Stella's secret dream is about to come to fruition. With many changes coming her way, she is absolutely stunned when the love of her life, Dr. Ed Clayton, unexpectedly comes back into her life. Will Ed forgive Stella for abruptly ending their relationship all those years ago? Is it too late for the couple to reconcile?

RaeAnne Thayne's The Cliff House is an emotional novel of new beginnings and love. The storyline is compelling and the characters are well-rounded and quite likable. Daisy, Bea and Stella are at a crossroads in their lives but will the paths they choose bring them the happiness they so richly deserve?
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This is a story of an aunt, the two sisters she raises, and the men who love them. Stella is just a college student when she learns her sister had died a year ago, leaving her two daughters in foster care. Stella immediately changes her life and leaves the man she loves so he can continue on his career path unencumbered by a ready-made family. Now it is years later, the sisters are grown, and Ed finds his way back to the town where Stella lives. In the meantime, Bea, a kind of wild child, has married her equally wild and up-and-coming rock star boyfriend, one of Stella’s former foster kids. They have a child, and then divorce. Daisy, the other sister, is an upright financial advisor, but one with a secret. When ex-husband Cruz is nearly killed, he and the man who almost died saving his life end up back in the same town where Stella and her nieces still live. Throw in another love interest for Bea and a couple more young daughters, and you have an interesting cast of characters. Somehow, the author ties them all together and makes it work for an entertaining romantic read. The characters are likable, the plot enticing, and the romance sweet, and it has the added bonus of a storyline about foster care. Enjoyable and well-written. ( )

I’ve been reading and enjoying books by RaeAnne Thayne for years, but I must say that she has outdone herself with The Cliff House. The beautiful cover set the stage, and the story pulled me right in from the start and kept me turning pages far into the night. I was captivated by the three women in the story—Daisy and Beatriz, and their aunt Stella. Although she was only a few years older than the girls, Stella took them in when they were orphaned and gave them a home and the love they desperately needed.

Thayne has deftly and seamlessly woven three separate romantic stories into one compelling and beautiful tale. With a gorgeous, richly-painted setting near the California coast and colorful, multi-layered, and endearing characters, she kept me guessing as the twists and turns continued throughout the story. Exquisitely crafted and packed with emotion, this book has earned a spot on my keeper shelf and taken over as my favorite book from this author.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the author/publisher. All opinions are my own. ( )