Jess Clayton is a partner in a thriving business that helps homeowners declutter and get their spaces and lives re-organized. It’s the perfect career for a veteran with a wanderlust mindset and no place to really call home. The book begins with Jess taking a job at a beautiful estate on the California coast, hired by a widower, Eleanor Whitaker, who’s decided it’s time to clear out her husband’s belongings and ready the home for possible sale. Jess is immediately drawn to Eleanor’s kind energy and is eager to help her, but she also has an ulterior motive—confronting her past. Her estranged sister, Rachel, lives in this town. Within moments of her arrival, the tension of this strained relationship descends upon her and she wonders if she’d made a mistake. And before she can even step foot on the property, she’s confronted by the estate owner’s son, Nate Whitaker, who takes a protective stance against this intruder and what she symbolizes, confronting his father’s death.

This sweet, contemporary romance by RaeAnne Thayne contains many storylines, including the perspectives of three characters—Jess, Rachel and Nate—each of whom are struggling with family baggage. Ultimately, as their lives intertwine, they find their lives disrupted and, on the path, to change, not to mention love.

While I use the word “sweet” in the description, this is by no means a story devoid of depth.

Each character, including Eleanor and Nate’s daughter, Sophie, must face head on the protective walls they’ve built around them. Learning to let go of control and following your heart is an age-old challenge, but Thayne creates a beautiful and engaging story that demonstrates that it is possible and in doing so, love is often on the other side.

Source: NetGalley

Cover Courtesy of Harlequin Books