Life is full of plot twists…

Sandwiched between caring for her mother and rebuilding the relationship with her estranged daughter, Emma, Rosie Lucas’s life is full. In the best way. With Emma and her 3-year-old daughter, Olive, back home, Rosie has a partner for The Rainy Day Bookshop, the family business, and a chance to fix the past.

What she doesn’t have time for is a romantic relationship. And even if she did, Andrew Morgan is the last person she’d choose. Not only is he an arrogant and reclusive writer, but he’s a single dad with two young kids. She’s already been there, done that. Still, as an irresistible flirtation builds between them, he becomes her unexpected confidante on the distance Rosie can’t seem to overcome with Emma, a secret she can’t quite unravel…

Emma isn’t proud of her past. But she’s pulled herself up by the bootstraps, caring for her own daughter, and protecting her mom at all costs. Just as she always has. She never told Rosie what she saw all those years ago, and she never will. But some secrets refuse to stay buried, and sometimes the truth is more shocking than fiction. Rosie and Emma will have to navigate an unimaginable path forward. Together.

~Standalone~

This story may contain language, violence, and/or sexual situations intended for an adult 18+ audience.

Title:  The Rainy Day Bookshop
Series:  Standalone
Author:  RaeAnne Thayne
Published:  June 2, 2026
Publisher:  Harlequin Trade/MIRA
My Rating:  4.5 stars

RaeAnne Thayne has long been an author who (for me) has never disappointed, and I always find myself falling in love with her characters.  The Rainy Day Bookshop is no exception to the delightful love affair I have with her books.  This time we have a generational story with a touch of romance for two women, Rosie and Andrew, and Emma and Bryce…and a bit of intrigue as a hidden secret finally comes to life.  This one has all the feels you could ever ask for, from the depths of despair to the heights of new love and second chances, not only in love but in life as well.  I was completely captivated by these characters and the situations they found themselves in.

Everything you would want to know before picking up The Rainy Day Bookshop can be found in the cover description.  What that doesn’t tell you is the emotional depth you’re about to encounter, how Rosie and Emma’s lives and decisions are about to break your heart and mend it back up again.  This story is well-written and emotional, and it will grip you from the first page to the last.  I try very hard not to do spoilers, so I can frankly tell you that I loved everything about this story, even the hard parts.  No life is perfect, and everyone deserves a second chance, even when they themselves cannot believe that.  This is a story that I will reread, for I believe I’ll find even more on a second time around.  If that sounds like your kind of Women’s Romantic Fiction, then you’d love this one.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This title is available at Amazon