The Cafe at Beach End

I happened upon [b:The Cafe at Beach End 74890593 The Cafe at Beach End RaeAnne Thayne https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1677904557l/74890593.SY75.jpg 98826178] in the grocery store and thought it looked entertaining. It's the first book I've read by [a:RaeAnne Thayne 116118 RaeAnne Thayne https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1447635609p2/116118.jpg], but it won't be my last. I'm normally drawn to smuttier (read: spicier) books, but Ms. Thayne handled the emotional end deftly when describing the budding relationships between both Meredith & Liam and Meredith's cousin Tori & Sam. The depth of the secondary characters made them more than caricatures. Even the pets (two dogs, Jasper & Shark) had distinct personalities. Both Meredith and Tori has legit reasons to not get into a romantic relationships. Though the two women, cousins, co-own a cafe, they are anything but partners. They were close as kids, but life definitely got in the way. They only have the remnants of a long-ago friendship, one that neither believes can be salvaged. The on-going struggle between the cousins is as intriguing as their connections with their love interests.While many romances proceed at a scorching pace to get to the bedroom, this book is more akin to real life. The hopes, the hesitations, the awkwardness, the connection are all emotions we've felt when we first begin to have feelings for someone. This author makes it real.I enjoyed this and will be reading more of [a:RaeAnne Thayne 116118 RaeAnne Thayne https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1447635609p2/116118.jpg].