THE PATH TO SUNSHINE COVE by RaeAnne Thayne - Review/Excerpt/Interview

 

Jess Clayton drives around the country in her 1993 Airstream named Vera uncluttering people's lives for her company Transitions. It's too bad, she's cluttered with too many of her own issues to take any joy from her life.

In RaeAnne Thayne's new novel, THE PATH TO SUNSHINE COVE (Harlequin) Jess returns to Cape Santuary, where she grew up and her sister, Rachel still lives with her family. Thirteen years ago, Jess and Rachel suffered a traumatic event that pulled them apart, but both in their own way, misses the other.

Jess pulls up to the home of Eleanor Whitaker, where she's been hired to clean out her house, after her husband passed six months ago. Instead of a warm welcome, Jess is greeted by a rude man. Nate Whitaker threatens to call the police if she doesn't get off his land. Jess is former military and not in the mood to take any of his crap, when she has a job to do. Eventually, Eleanor returns home and calms everyone down, but Jess is still angry at her arrogant son, Nate.

Jess' company, Transitions helps people get rid of stuff, while remembering certain times in their lives. It's a four part process. The stuff is either kept, donated, sold or thrown away. It's an emotional time for the client and Jess protects her heart from ever getting too attached. Jess is a mix of vulnerability and bravado, but always ready to run away from her feelings. She spends quality time with Rachel, her family and all the Whitakers wiggle into her heart. 

You know this is going to end well. It's a RaeAnne Thayne rom-com. But it takes some healing to get there. THE PATH TO SUNSHINE COVE is about how life is a journey, a continuous path. Some times are treacherous, arduous  and complicated, but eventually we discover the beauty and grace. A journey is easier and more beautiful when helped along by the ones you love.

I loved THE PATH TO SUNSHINE COVE. I'm a real fan of RaeAnne Thayne's novels. Her characters are people you want to know. Her novels are books you just want to curl up on a comfy chair with hot chocolate and read.

AN EXCERPT

Chapter One 

If not for all of the emotional baggage cluttering up her Airstream, this wouldn’t be a bad place to park for

a few days. 

As Jess Clayton drove through the quiet streets of Cape Sanctuary on a beautiful May afternoon, she

couldn’t help being charmed anew by the Northern California beach town vibes. 

She had been here before, of course. Several times. Her sister lived just down that street there, in a large

two-story cottage with gables, a bay window and a lush flower garden. Rachel loved it here. Every time

Jess came to town, she was reminded why. What was not to love? Cape Sanctuary was a town defined by

whimsical houses, overflowing gardens, wind chimes and Japanese fishing balls. 

And, of course, the gorgeous coastline, marked by redwoods, rock formations, cliffs.

She drove past Juniper Way, her sister’s street, but didn’t turn down. Not yet. She would see Rachel, Cody

and the kids soon, after she was settled.

They were the whole reason she was here, after all. She didn’t see her nieces and nephew enough, only on

the rare holidays and birthdays that she could arrange a visit. When a prospective client reached out from

the same town as Rachel and her family, Jess saw it as a golden opportunity to spend more time with the

kids. And her sister, of course.

She sighed as she made her way to her destination, Sunshine Cove, still a mile away, according to her

navigation system.

 Rachel was the reason for all that baggage she was towing along. Jess loved her younger sister dearly but

their relationship was like a messy tangle of electric wires, some of them live and still sparking. 

She would be in Cape Sanctuary for two weeks on this job. Maybe she would finally have the chance to

sort things out with Rachel and achieve some kind of peace. 

The road rose, climbing through a stand of redwoods and coastal pine, with houses tucked in here and

there before the view to the ocean opened up again

In five hundred feet, your destination is on the right: 2135 Seaview Road. 

She couldn’t argue with Siri on this one. That was a spectacular view. The Pacific glistened in the

afternoon sunlight with only a few feathery clouds above the horizon line. She turned at the orca-shaped

mailbox

Eleanor Whitaker had told her to seek. Through more coastal pine, she could see the house. She

recognized it from the pictures her client had sent. One level, made of stone and cedar, the house looked as if it had

grown out of the landscape fully formed. 

She knew the house was more than five thousand square feet, built at the turn of the century by a wealthy

ranching and logging family in the area. It featured seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms, all of which she

would come to know well over the next two weeks. 

From the picture Eleanor had sent, Jess knew Whitaker House was beautiful. Elegant. Comfortable. Warm.

The kind of place where Jess had once dreamed of living, free of shouting, chaos, pain.

 She could see, tucked into the trees overlooking the ocean, a smaller house on the property that was

almost a minature of the big house, with the same cedar and stone exterior as well as windows that

gleamed in the afternoon sun. 

A big dark blue pickup truck was parked there but she couldn’t see anyone around. 

Jess pulled her own rig over to the side of the driveway in case anyone needed to come in and out, then

scouted around for a place she could unhitch.

 From their phone call earlier that morning as she was driving, she knew Eleanor wouldn’t be here, that

she had taken her teenage granddaughter into a nearby town to an orthodontist appointment and then to

catch a movie they had both been wanting to see. 

Make yourself at home and set up anywhere that works, Eleanor had said. 

As she cased the property, she instantly found the spot a hundred yards from the house that would give

her a perfect view of the water, almost as if it had been created exactly for her twenty-four-foot 1993

Airstream, affectionately nicknamed Vera by Jess’s business partner. 

This job was meant to be. She had already bonded with Eleanor Whitaker over their weeks of email and

phone correspondence. This view sealed the deal. 

When she was done working each day, she could go to sleep to the restful sound of the ocean. She

climbed back in her pickup and backed the trailer with the ease of long practice. Some people struggled

with trailering but ess didn’t. The seven years she had spent as a driver in the military still served her well. 

When the Airstream was in a good spot, she hopped out and was reaching in the back of the pickup for the

chocks when an angry male voice drifted across the manicured lawn to her. 

“Hey. This is private property. You can’t park that here!” 

She instinctively wrapped her hand around the chock. Angry male voices always brought out the warrior

princess in her. She could blame both her childhood and those years in the army when she had to go toe to

toe with people twice her weight and a foot taller. 

The chock was heavy and could do real damage in the right hands. 

Hers. 

“I have permission to be here,” she said, her voice cool but polite.

 He frowned. “Permission? That’s impossible.” 

“I assure you, it’s not.” 

“This is my mother’s property. She would have told me if she had given somebody permission to camp

here.”

Ah. This must be Nathaniel Whitaker, Eleanor’s son. Her client had mentioned that he lived in another

house on the property and would probably be in and out as Jess went about her work.

 Hadn’t Eleanor told him Jess was coming? 

She relaxed her grip on the chock but didn’t release it. “You must be Nathaniel. Eleanor has told me

about you.” 

Her words didn’t have an impact on his expression. If anything, his glower intensified, his frown now nor

edged with confusion that she knew his name. 

Despite his sour expression, she couldn’t help noticing he was an extraordinarily good-looking man.

Eleanor hadn't mentioned that her son had dark hair, stormy blue eyes, a square jawline. Or that his green

T-shirt with a logo over the right breast pocket that read Whitaker Construction clung to his muscles. 

Jess found it extremely inconvenient that Nathaniel Whitaker happened to hit every single one of her

personal yum buttons.

 “Who are you?” he demanded. “And how do you know my mother?”

 Ah. This was tricky. Eleanor was her client. She must have had her own reasons for not telling her son

Jess was showing up. Jess felt compelled to honor those reasons. Until she could talk to the woman, Jess

didn’t feel right about giving more information to Nate than his own mother had

“My name is Jess Clayton. Your mother knows I planned to arrive today. I have her permission to set up

anywhere. I thought this would work well.”

 Beautifully, actually. The more time she looked around, the better she liked it. A twisting path down to the

ocean started just a few yards away, leading down to what looked like a protected cove. 

“Set up for what? Why are you here?”

 “You really should ask your mother,” she said. It would be so much better if he could hear the explanation

from Eleanor.

 “I just tried to call her when I saw you pulling in. She’s not answering.” 

“Probably in the middle of the movie. She told me she and Sophie were going to a matinee after the

orthodontist.”

 If she thought this further knowledge about his family would set Nate’s mind at ease, she was sadly

mistaken.

His gaze narrowed further. “How the hell do you know my daughter had an orthodontist appointment?”

 “Your mom happened to mention it.”

 “Funny, the things my mother told you. I talk to her several times a day, every day, and she hasn’t said

a word to me about a strange woman setting up a trailer in the side yard. Tell me again what you’re doing

here?”

 She wanted to be finishing her trailer setup so she could unhitch and go into town for groceries. She

would rather not be engaged in a confrontation with a strange man, no matter how hot, who didn’t need to

know every detail of his mother’s life. 

Why hadn’t Eleanor told him already? It’s not as if the woman could keep their efforts a secret for long.

 Still, it was not up to Jess to spill the dirt. 

“I’m afraid that’s between me and your mother. You really need to get the answer to that question from her.”

 “Sorry, ma’am, but that’s not good enough. Right now, you’re trespassing. If you don’t move this out of

here, I’m calling the police. The chief happens to be a good friend of mine.” 

“Yes, I know.” Done with this discussion, Jess reached down to wedge the chock behind the passenger-side

wheel. “You play poker with him every other Friday night. Your mother told me.” 

“What else did she tell you?” He had moved beyond suspicion to outright hostility. She probably shouldn’t

have said anything about the poker. She certainly wouldn’t want someone she didn’t know poking into her

business. If he hadn’t been so blasted good-looking, she might have been able to handle this whole thing

better. 

She forced a smile, trying to take a different tack. “I assure you, Eleanor knows I’m coming, as I said. She

told me to settle in and make myself comfortable until she gets home. You can try calling her again.”

 

Or you can accept that maybe I’m telling the truth and give me a break here. I’ve been driving for hours

I’m tired and hungry and I would really like to make a sandwich, which I can’t do with you standing there

like a bouncer at a nightclub in a bad part of town. 

“I’ve tried multiple times. She’s not answering. You’re probably right, her phone is probably on silent.”

 “Look, when Eleanor and Sophie come back from the movie, she can tell you what’s going on. Until then,

I would really like to finish setting up here.” 

“No matter what I say?”

 She didn’t want to challenge him but she was starving. 

“This is your mother’s house and she invited me here,” she said simply. “It will be easy enough to prove

that once Eleanor returns. If I’m lying for some unknown reason and just happened to make an

extraordinarily lucky guess about your mom and a daughter named Sophie who had an orthodontist

appointment today, you and the entire Cape Sanctuary police force can boot me out.”

 He didn’t look at all appeased, his features still suspicious. She couldn’t really blame him. He was only

trying to protect those he loved. She would probably do the same in his shoes.

 “Would you like a sandwich?” she said, trying another tack. “I make a mean PB and J.” 

For the first time, she saw a glimmer of surprise on his expression, as if he couldn’t quite believe she had

the audacity to ask. “No, I wouldn’t like a sandwich.” 

“Suit yourself. I’ve had a long day already and I’m ready for some food. And I need to see how Vera

survived the drive.” 

As she might have expected, his frown deepened. “Who is Vera?” 

She patted the skin on the Airstream. “It was, um, a pleasure to meet you, Nathaniel.”

 “Nate,” he muttered. “Nobody but my mother calls me Nathaniel.” 

“Nate, then.” 

She nodded and without waiting for him to argue, she slipped into the trailer and closed the door firmly

behind her.

 The curtains were still closed from the drive and she didn’t want to open them yet to the afternoon

sunlight. Not when Nate Whitaker might still be lurking outside.

 Instead, she sank onto the sofa that doubled as her office, dining room and guest space, astonished and

dismayed to find her hands were shaking.

 What was that about? She had a familiar itchiness between her shoulder blades and could feel a little crash

as her adrenaline subsided. 

Nate Whitaker wasn’t a threat to her. Yes, he might be angry right now but he wouldn’t hurt her. She

already felt like his mother was an old and dear friend. Eleanor surely couldn’t have a son who was prone

to random violence.

 Instinct told her he wouldn’t physically hurt her, yet Jess still had the strangest feeling that Nate posed

some kind of danger to her. 

Ah well. She likely wouldn’t have much to do with the man. She was here to help Eleanor, not to fraternize

with the woman’s gorgeous offspring. 

She only had to make sure she didn’t lose sight of her twin objectives here in Cape Sanctuary—spending

time with her sister’s family and helping her client—and she would be fine. 

Excerpted from The Path to Sunshine Cove by RaeAnne Thayne Copyright © RaeAnne Thayne. Published by HQN Books.

Some Q & A with RaeAnne! LUCKY US!

Q:  I'm a fan. I love your novels, especially your holiday books. How are you able to write so many books?

 A: Thank you so much. I don’t feel like I’m a very fast writer, if you want the truth, I have just been around forever so have a big backlist! My first book came out in 1996 and I just finished my 68th book, so that works out to not quite 3 books a year. I try to write 10 pages a day, five-six days a week. I find consistency, sticking with it every day, is really the key when it comes to being productive.

Q: Are you a plot driven writer or character?

 A: Ooh. Both! I would say first, characters. All of my books start with the characters. I have to know their goals, motivations and conflicts before I can even start thinking about a plot. Once I have figured that out, I definitely spend a long time thinking about what journey they need to take to find their happy ending.

 

Q: Any special message you hope your readers get from The Path to Sunshine Cove?

 A: Life is hard and messy and imperfect but the relationships we nurture with those we love can help smooth away all the rough edges.

Q: Do you outline or just go for it?

 A: I have to plot extensively or I find myself wandering through the weeds trying to figure out where to go with the story. I spend a long time at the beginning of a book in the planning process, including writing each scene on an index card that contains the point-of-view character, the goal of the scene, the setting and important plot details of the scene. It helps me stay on track.

Q:  How did you start writing? Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

A: I come from a family of voracious readers, thanks to our mother who loved to read. Because I loved to read, I learned to love words and writing but it was never my dream until high school when I took a journalism class and learned to love telling stories. I pursued a career in journalism and worked as a newspaper reporter and editor but still dreamed of writing a book. I started my first novel when I was on maternity leave with our oldest daughter, who is now 30. This year marks my 25th anniversary of being a published author!

THANK YOU & CONGRATULATIONS!

RAEANNE'S WORDS:

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.

I love to hear from readers. You can reach me using the form on the Contact Page.

www.raeannethayne.com

To purchase  THE PATH TO SUNSHINE